Month: February 2025

Deployed capacity on the Asia to Latin America trade lane has more than doubled on a quarterly basis in the past three years. According to data from MDS Transmodal, deployed capacity exceeded 2 million TEUs in the first quarter. Comparing Q1 2024 and Q1 2025, capacity alone grew 20% year-over-year. This rapid growth has been

The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) expects air cargo demand to grow by 5% in 2025. This forecast aligns with the IMF’s latest prediction of global GDP growth reaching 3.3% for 2025-2026. Glyn Hughes, TIACA’s Director General, explained that this growth projection is based on economic stability, an increase in e-commerce, and a growing middle class that

Members from the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) have officially ratified a new six-year master contract with their maritime employers, represented by the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). Nearly 99% of ILA’s 45,000 registered members voted in favor, securing a 62% pay rise, faster wage increases, and improved benefits. Retroactive to October 1, 2024, the contract

The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has proposed fees on Chinese-built vessels entering U.S. ports. The plan includes fees up to $1.5 million per port call for Chinese-built ships and $1 million for operators of these vessels. Public comments are open until March 24, after which a decision will be made. Most ocean-going ships would pay

Los Angeles and Long Beach ports achieved their strongest January performance as importers rushed to move cargo ahead of anticipated tariff increases on goods from China, Canada, and Mexico. The Port of LA moved 924,245 TEUs, up 8% from last year, said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. Import containers rose 9.5% to 483,831

Shipping in the Red Sea remains uncertain, despite a slight rise in traffic. Security concerns are still keeping most vessels on longer routes around Africa. Although no merchant ships have been attacked this year, threats persist as Yemen’s Houthis warn they may resume attacks on vessels should the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapse.  The

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised its global trade growth projections downward in their January 2025 World Economic Outlook (WEO) report. According to Sea-Intelligence, the IMF projected that global trade growth is expected to reach 3.2% in 2025 and 3.3% in 2026, both of which are lower than historical average of 3.7% measured between

A new McKinsey Global Institute report examines how global trade is evolving based on four factors: trade intensity, geographic distance, geopolitical distance, and import concentration. The most significant ongoing shift in trade patterns is the decline in the average geopolitical distance of trade. Between 2017 and 2024, the measure dropped by -7%, indicating countries are

European ports are currently grappling with significant delays due to record container volumes arriving from China, extreme winter weather, and ongoing labor challenges. In December, exports from China to North Europe recorded a 17.6% increase year-over-year, according to Container Trade Statistics (CTS) data. The influx of container arrivals, which started to reach European ports in