container lines

When shippers battled against a new surcharge

FreightWaves Classics is sponsored by Old Dominion Freight Line — Helping the World Keep Promises. Learn more here.

FreightWaves explores the archives of American Shipper’s nearly 70-year-old collection of shipping and maritime publications to showcase interesting freight stories of long ago.

In this week’s edition, from the January 1978 issue, FreightWaves explores a battle between shipper and container lines over a new surcharge.

Shippers critical of 10% surcharge to offset losses from strike;...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/when-shippers-battled-against-a-new-surcharge

FMC to assess whether container lines are abusing market power

The Federal Maritime Commission plans to audit nine of the largest container carriers operating in U.S. markets to find out if they are using their market power to overcharge shippers on detention and demurrage fees.

The Vessel-Operating Common Carrier Audit Program, launched on Monday by FMC Chairman Daniel Maffei, will also “provide additional information beneficial to the regular monitoring of the marketplace for ocean cargo services,” according to the agency.

The top nine carriers by market...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmc-to-assess-whether-container-lines-are-abusing-market-power

US regulator probing China’s role in container shortage

A top maritime official has started an informal investigation into whether China is using its market power to monopolize containers and other equipment crucial to international supply chains to pump up rates paid by American exporters.

Carl Bentzel, a U.S. Federal Maritime Commissioner (FMC), told attendees at a virtual business meeting hosted by the Intermodal Association of North America that he is looking into the availability of containers, intermodal chassis and railroad equipment, and...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/us-regulator-probing-chinas-role-in-container-shortage

Transpacific Bottleneck Deepens Due To Port Congestion

  • Container lines are running out of ships in Asia as port congestion in the US west coast sees vessels takes 11 days to turnaround at berth.
  • Seasonal holidays has produced a pro-longed bottleneck situation on the transpacific trade.
  • Turnaround times in LA/Long Beach for the 13,000 – 14,000 teu capacity vessels now commonly used on the transpacific have increased.
  • The increase is from an average of 3 – 5 days to up to 11 days for a loading and discharge cycle.

A recent news article published in...

https://mfame.guru/transpacific-bottleneck-deepens-due-to-port-congestion/

US import spike set to run into summer as west coast ports struggle

Container freight and charter markets are continuing to boom post-Chinese New Year, and analysts expect favourable conditions for carriers and shipowners to last at least into the second half.
“Unseasonal strength in container volumes and port congestion have buoyed freight markets, while in the time-charter markets, demand for vessels has outstripped wider growth in container trade, conditions that are expected to endure at least into H2 21,” says the latest sector …

The post US import spike...

https://theloadstar.com/us-import-spike-set-to-run-into-summer-as-west-coast-ports-struggle-to-cope/

Container lines Increase Cancellation Fees, Traders Feel the Heat

  • container lines have not only continued to raise freight rates but have also introduced additional difficult measures for companies involved in shipping commodities in boxes.
  • In contrast, CMA-CGM and Maersk have reported large increases in profits for the third quarter of 2020, amid high demand, strong freight rates and low fuel costs.
  • An acute shortage of containers and new rule changes by container lines have combined over the past week to again raise containerized shipping costs for...

https://mfame.guru/container-lines-increase-cancellation-fees-traders-feel-the-heat/

US exporters in revolt over the cost of changing earliest return dates

US agricultural exporters are demanding shipping lines end frequent changes to earliest return dates (ERD) – the earliest an export container can be delivered to the carrier – which can incur significant extra costs.
More than three-quarters of responding exporters reported that at least 5% of their shipments incurred more costs as a result of ERD changes, according to a survey conducted by the US Agriculture Transport Coalition (AgTC) and tech company …

The post US exporters in revolt over the...

https://theloadstar.com/us-exporters-in-revolt-over-the-cost-of-changing-earliest-return-dates/

Ocean carriers on a high and ‘surfing a wave’ of profitability

Ocean carriers are “taking advantage of the moment”, according to Alphaliner, boosting their balance sheets on the back of booming demand and all-time high spot rates.
Carriers are “surfing a wave”, said the consultant, but added that mid-term visibility was low and global growth predictions for next year and beyond were shrouded in uncertainty.
Alphaliner said 2020 would be remembered as “one of the strangest years” for container shipping, with carriers issuing …

The post Ocean carriers on a...

https://theloadstar.com/ocean-carriers-on-a-high-and-surfing-a-wave-of-profitability/

How Containershipping Showed Resilience To Avert the COVID19 Crisis

Although the pandemic has brought chaos to the global economy, many lines are making more money, reports the Financial Times.

Holding a small axe in a white-gloved hand, South Korea’s first lady Kim Jung-sook cut the ropes tethering the HMM Algeciras and officially launched the world’s biggest containership at a ceremony in April.

The towering vessel, the first of a dozen ordered by shipping line HMM, is the size of four football pitches. If loaded on to a train, the 23,964 20-foot metal boxes it...

https://mfame.guru/how-containershipping-showed-resilience-to-avert-the-covid19-crisis/

DCSA’s Thomas Bagge and the quest to digitise container shipping 

Former Maersk executive Thomas Bagge has been chief executive and statutory director of Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) for nearly 18 months, in an attempt to pull the shipping industry into the 21st century. It is, he says, not an easy quest, but the first fruits of his labour are starting to show. 
“The container shipping industry is currently not a digitally advanced industry. We are, however, seeing a shift as many companies are thinking about how to change their supply...

https://theloadstar.com/dcsas-thomas-bagge-and-the-quest-to-digitise-container-shipping/

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