Category: Sea

The World’s biggest container line freezes out small shippers 

Leading shipping line, Maersk, has decided to focus on its largest volume customers, in a move that jeopardises the future of SME forwarders and leaves many shippers potentially exposed. It is widely reported in the trade press, that small and medium-sized freight forwarders fear for thei... Read more

China’s continued zero-Covid challenge for supply chains

The lockdowns and restrictions that China’s zero-Covid strategy risk, may create greater disruption than earlier waves of the pandemic, threatening already stretched global supply chains. Beijing’s strict zero-Covid policy has curbed local outbreaks with mass testing, snap lockdowns, vigil... Read more

Metro launch enhanced tracking tool as on-time ship arrivals hit six-year low

With global shipping schedule reliability at a six-year low and just 33% of ships arriving on time, during a chaotic year for container shipping, Metro Shipping is enhancing its MVT supply chain platform, with even greater scrutiny of real-time vessel tracking. The ability of vessels to h... Read more

COVID outbreak impacts Ningbo port

The suspension of trucking services in several parts of China’s Zhejiang province, followed a COVID outbreak just over a week ago and has slowed the movement of cargo through one of China’s biggest and most important ports, Ningbo. Strict controls were imposed on lorries moving goods to or... Read more

2021; a year of supply chain challenges

All around the world, companies have been impacted by supply chain challenges in 2021. With the pandemic’s disruption exacerbated by ‘Black Swan events', from Brexit, to the Suez Canal blockage, we have been working tirelessly to help our customers overcome these challenges and share critical... Read more

Freight market report – December 2021

With supply chains battling through overwhelmed transport systems, material shortages, and infrastructure disruptions for close on two years, we asked our partners in seven key markets to share their thoughts on critical operational elements, including demand, capacity and rates.  BANGLAD... Read more

First autonomous and emission-free container ship

Yara Birkeland, the world's first all-electric and emission-free container ship has completed its maiden voyage in Norway, travelling nine miles, from Porsgrunn to the port of Brevik, in the Oslo fjord. The fully electric and self-propelled 120 teu container ship will cut 1,000 tonnes of ... Read more

Maersk ‘blanking’ Felixstowe until March from/to Asia

Delays in receiving and turning vessels around, apparently due to continuing land-side operational disruptions, has prompted 2M partners Maersk and MSC to extend Felixstowe’s omission from the AE7/Condor loop until next March. The world's largest container shipping alliance, 2M, has announce... Read more

Port congestion eases, but challenges will continue to remain

Asia’s largest ports are showing signs that congestion is easing ahead of the Christmas holiday season, with Shanghai traffic declining 0.2%, Hong Kong ship count dropping 10.4% and Singapore dropping 14.7% according to an analysis by Bloomberg. While any easing of volume is welcome, Bloombe... Read more

Foldable containers may be cure. Just not yet…

The bulk of the world’s trade is shipped in intermodal shipping containers, which have remained largely unchanged since IMO standardisation 50 years ago, but innovation may be the key to reducing supply chain congestion. Is this a new era of global container shipping? Few tools of the global... Read more

Ocean freight carrier profits grow as global supply chain woes continue

CMA CGM has published their Q3 results and in line with the other major Asia/Europe and trans-Atlantic carriers, they have made an extremely high degree of profit, due to the continued demand for space, exacerbated by global disruption diminishing the amount of vessel space available. The CMA ... Read more

Asia-Europe congestions adding to transit delays and schedule confusion

Congestion at both ends of the critical Asia-North Europe (this still includes the UK) shipping trade is wrecking vessel schedules, with the average delay of container ships completing a round-trip loop rising by over two weeks, as carriers skip congested ports at both ends, and quite often in be... Read more