Category: Shipping and Logistics

The Lake Carriers' Association reported a considerable decline in monthly iron ore shipments from US ports on the Great Lakes.

What's going on in West Coast ports?

The Mexican government aims to transform Manzanillo into the largest seaport in Latin America, capable of processing some 10 million TEU (20-foot equivalent units) per year by 2030. It is already Mexico's largest port and the third largest in Latin America, handling nearly 4 million 20-foot containers in 2024.

Containers sailing from China in April are down 15%-20% and Hapag Lloyd says their future bookings transpacific are down 30%.

Container shipping lines have sharply increased blank sailings on Transpacific routes in response to escalating trade tensions between the US and China.

The company cited uncertainty about freight rates and demand, regulatory changes and the impact of tariffs.

President Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order meant to breathe new life into American shipbuilding and curb Chinese dominance in the sector.

Recall that shipments also saw a sharp decline in January.

Nearly 99% of ILA members voted in favor of a new labor deal with the United States Maritime Alliance that covers workers at ports on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

With construction seasonally soft, the flatbed market remains softer than the other main trailer types.

The Lake Carriers’ Association reported a 4.5% y/y decline in December’s ore shipments of 4.6 million short tons.

Both sides had agreed to extend the current contract to Jan. 15 to continue talks

In 2024, volatility with a capital “V” has been the rule. That will remain high heading into 2025.

Following the short-lived East Coast port labor strike in October, we now turn toward the Jan. 15 deadline to reach a long-term agreement.

After closing the third quarter -3.84% on a y/y basis, our first look at fourth-quarter flatbed spot rates puts us virtually flat y/y, coming in at -0.68%.

On Thursday, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the US Maritime Alliance (USMX), representing carriers and port operators on the East and Gulf Coasts, announced a three-and-a-half-month extension of the recently expired collective bargaining agreement. The extension kicks the can down the road until Jan. 15, 2025, after the 2024 election and the certification of the results on Jan. 6.

The International Longshoreman's Association (ILA) union and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) reached a tentative agreement on wages on Thursday evening. The move ends a strike at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports that began on Tuesday and that had threatened significant supply-chain disruptions.

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) launched a strike just after midnight on Tuesday at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports. The work stoppage spans from New England to New Orleans. It came after a last-ditch offer by the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents maritime employers, failed to meet union demands.

Unless a last-minute deal is struck by midnight on Monday, a massive work stoppage will hit ports up and down the East and Gulf Coasts on Tuesday and cause widespread supply chain disruption. Master contract negotiations remain stalled between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). The employer group took […]

A potential labor strike is threatening to disrupt supply chains up and down the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts beginning next week.

Canada’s government has ordered an end to the brief rail stoppage which had threatened to disrupt the movement of commodities.

Two rail providers have locked out union workers at their operations in Canada.

A work stoppage could hit Canada’s rail network as two rail companies have said they will lock out union workers on Thursday if no labor agreement is reached.

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have just over two months left to reach a new labor agreement and avoid a strike at all Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports. However, with talks still suspended, ILA’s president says a strike looks more likely with each passing day.

Flood-level waters have prompted the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to close locks on the Mississippi River.

Flatbed rates remain roughly 20% higher than dry van but have stayed relatively calm for the first half of 2024, rising just 5% in the first half of the year and remaining negative on a year-over-year basis.

Contract negotiations between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have soured.

Roughly halfway through Q2, flatbed rates are holding firm, currently showing no change from April to May and a slight increase quarter-over-quarter (q/q).

As we navigate through the first half of 2024, we are seeing early signs of an inflationary rate environment for flatbed shipping, albeit slightly later than anticipated. Excess supply has persisted longer than expected for both flatbed and dry van, resulting in rates remaining lower than for longer than anticipated.

While shipping and supply chains have always been subject to wars, pirates, privateers, geopolitical issues, and natural disasters, it seems that “it’s been busier lately when it comes to dealing with significant supply chain disruptions,” according to logistics expert Anton Posner.