As the New Year brings fresh resolutions and opportunities, shippers are coming face-to-face with tighter capacity and higher rates on Pacific trade lanes. Spot rates from Asia increased for the second week in a row as we brought in 2019, and the industry has begun bracing for the Lunar (Chinese) [...]
As reported earlier this month, U.S. West Coast terminals in Los Angeles and Long Beach are experiencing heavy volumes and severe congestion that is expected to last through the upcoming Lunar (Chinese) New Year. 5 TOP CAUSES OF U.S. WEST COAST CONGESTION 1. EQUIPMENT & CHASSIS For West Coast supply [...]
2019 will be a transitional year for the United States’ rail industry; known for its inefficiencies, U.S. rail freight is on the quest to increase train speeds and improve services by taking steps towards precision scheduled railroading (PSR). In September, CSX, the leading supplier of rail-based freight transportation in North [...]
As the freight market heads deeper into typical peak season shipping, a wave of uncertainty has importers and exporters on alert, and carriers trying to balance unforeseen demand against United States’ trade policy. Back in May, contract rates to the East and West Coasts were steady and $100 lower than [...]
Nationwide, importers are struggling to ensure their freight is picked up efficiently from U.S. ports as chassis inaccessibility continues to rise amid cost increases, limited availability and quality of equipment. The decade-long issue has been an increasing problem at ports and railroad terminals for years, resulting in complex arrangements that [...]
As the holiday shipping season peaks in advance of New Year tariffs, international shippers are already examining the market for the significant upcoming ocean carrier contract season. Effective January 1, 2020, an international cap on sulfur emissions from bunker fuel will add substantial costs to ocean carriers before existing beneficial [...]
Announced over the weekend, the United States, Mexico and Canada made international headlines as the three neighboring countries signed onto a new free trade agreement, called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The new deal included provisions to raise Canada’s duty-free, de minimis, levels from $20 CAD to $150 CAD and [...]
In a frantic race against time, Canada and the United States sealed the deal this past Sunday to secure trilateral trade that had been progressing under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) for almost a quarter of a century. The new deal, known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), [...]
In a statement released by the White House on Monday, September 17, 2018, President Donald Trump announced, “Today, following seven weeks of public notice, hearings, and extensive opportunities for comment, I directed the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to proceed with placing additional tariffs on roughly $200 billion of imports [...]
CLICK HERE FOR YEAR-TO-DATE FREIGHT NEWS THAT MADE HEADLINES International shippers expecting calm, profitable peak season markets, after toiling consolidation of the steamship line industry last year, are finding the path to consumers is political, congested and, once again, expensive. POLITICS OF TRADE While most hesitate in labeling it [...]
