In Week 29, we see demand begin to fall from an early peak season while equipment shortages and severe weather impact vessels and some ports. WEATHER BLOCKS VESSEL TRAFFIC AROUND CAPE OF GOOD HOPE Severe weather near the Cape of Good Hope forced container vessels to seek shelter from [...]
Contract negotiations between several North American Dockworker unions and ports have the potential to snarl port operations and the movement of freight. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Canada and the International Longshoreman's Association (ILA) in the U.S. are advocating for their members to agree to new contract terms [...]
This week's Freight Market Update brings good news for shippers choosing the U.S. West Coast ports as capacity is loosening. Week 28 started with a category 1 hurricane bringing the U.S. Gulf Coast supply chain to a temporary halt while German dockworker strike stopped port operations in Hamburg, Germany. [...]
LABOR ACTION AT PORT OF HAMBURG Dockworker strikes are taking place at all terminals of the port of Hamburg starting today, July 9, 2024, and running for 48 hours through July 11 at 7 a.m. local time. The first, second, and third shift will all be participating in the work [...]
OPERATIONS UPDATE: TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024 Port of Houston - All terminals closed for storm recovery. Port will update at 4:00 PM Central. Class 1 Railroads - Inland intermodal facility closed. As conditions improve, engineering teams are conducting track inspections in areas that are safely accessible and are prepared to [...]
Week 27 brings tidings of good news from the Panama Canal though tight capacity and port congestion in Asia continues to plague the global supply chain. PANAMA CANAL DRAFT RESTRICTIONS MODIFIED Earlier this month, the Panama Canal Authority announced a significant change: they will be increasing the number of [...]
PANAMA CANAL NEARING NORMAL LEVELS AND INCREASING TRANSIT VOLUME After months of low water levels due to a historic drought, the Panama Canal’s freshwater reservoirs are approaching normal levels as summer begins. The drought, starting in mid-2023, reduced water levels in Gatun Lake, forcing the Panama Canal Authority (APC) to [...]
ELECTRIC TRUCKING INVESTMENTS The Los Angeles and Long Beach ports are investing a combined $25 million to support the development of charging infrastructure for electric-powered heavy-duty trucks to service southern California harbors and warehouses. The commissions of both ports also authorized another $12.5 million from their respective clean truck funds [...]
SHIPPERS PUSH FMC TO ADDRESS ISSUES WITH CHANGING DROP OFF DATES FOR EXPORTS U.S. exporters have expressed concerns to the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) that the inconsistent information on vessel schedules and drop-off dates leads to higher costs and delays. Although having a single source for this kind of data [...]
SPECIAL HANDLING CODE NEEDED FOR E-COMMERCE DUE TO AIR VOLUME CONSUMPTION E-commerce has sustained enormous volume growth over the last 18 months, commanding large portions of the global air markets. The exponential growth of the industry was kickstarted by the pandemic; and shows no signs of slowing. Retail sales are [...]
