Category: Newsletters

Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC) has solidified its lead in the global container shipping market by adding more capacity than any other ocean carrier in the first half of 2025, according to Alphaliner. Through a mix of newbuilds and second-hand ships, MSC’s fleet grew by 5.5% and its total fleet has exceeded 6.6 million TEUs. Ocean

In June, intra-Asia shipping rates experienced a notable surge, fueled by robust cargo demand from China to Southeast Asia and other long-haul regional routes. Rates are rising even though ocean carriers have added substantial capacity. Industry executives remain optimistic that the increased demand could continue into the second half of this year. Rates from China

A new study from Sea-Intelligence revealed that the size and connectivity of ports are not correlated to their reliability. Examining over 14 years of vessel call data from 202 major deep-sea ports, the study ranked port performance based on schedule reliability. It placed greater emphasis on data from recent years, as a better indicator of

The World Shipping Council’s (WSC) latest annual report on containers lost at sea reveals that 576 containers were lost in 2024. This figure is more than double the 221 containers lost in 2023, although it remains below the 10-year average of 1,274 containers lost. The increase in losses is primarily attributed to trade rerouting around

The UK government is backing key port expansion efforts to drive job growth and economic gains, supported by strong long-term trade forecasts. New amendments to the National Policy Statement for Ports have been proposed to expedite planning approvals and reduce costs for port operators. These changes are aimed at enabling ports to proceed confidently with

As the July 9 tariff pause imposed by the U.S. approaches, demand for airfreight out of Asia is rising sharply, even as ocean freight volumes fall. Freight forwarders have reported a surge in bookings, not from China, but from markets like Taiwan and Southeast Asia, where capacity is tightening. An executive at a global forwarder

Shipping analysts predict the Trans-Pacific market is heading into a downturn, while the Asia-Europe trade is gaining strength. U.S. importers frontloaded goods earlier this year to get ahead of tariff hikes, which has left inventories full. As a result, demand for the rest of 2025 on the Trans-Pacific is expected to weaken, pulling down freight

Airfreight capacity in the Middle East has declined sharply since the Israel-Iran conflict began, leading to a global reduction in available space. According to data provider Rotate’s database, widebody capacity for both belly and freighter has fallen by 100% in Iran and Syria. Iraq is down by -84%, Israel by -78%, Jordan by -43%, and

Cargo delays continue at Mexico’s Port of Manzanillo more than a month after a four-day customs strike. Despite measures such as longer weekend hours and increased customs staffing, congestion has not improved. Ships are now waiting 1.8 days to dock – the longest delay recorded this year, according to Vizion and Dun & Bradstreet. One

Cargo volumes dipped sharply at Southern California’s container ports in May, reflecting continued disruption from tariff policies and shifting global trade patterns. The Port of Long Beach handled 639,160 TEUs, down -8.2% year-over-year. Imports dropped -13.4% to 299,116 TEUs, while exports fell -18.6% to 82,149 TEUs. The only growth came from empty containers, which rose