Category: Sea

Ocean Container Carriers supply & demand gamble

Global lockdowns continue to drive consumer demand for goods, keeping ships full, sea freight rates high and leading shipping lines to take ever more desperate measures to increase their capability to take revenue opportunities. But, have they got their calculations right, or will their drive to ... Read more

Suez Canal blocked by container ship

At 7:40 am on 23 March 2021, the 20k TEU container ship Evergreen Ever Given was navigating the Suez Canal when it ran aground, turning the ship sideways and blocking the canal, with the potential to impact oil and sea freight prices if she cannot be freed quickly by the tugs currently trying to... Read more

The true environmental impact of empty containers

Environmentalists have long voiced concerns about the CO2 emission damage of the global shipping fleet. They believe that shipping laden containers are doing untold damage to the climate and are extremely concerned about the volume of empty containers that have been travelling the globe recently.... Read more

Shipping lines imposing new round of surcharges and rate rises into quarter 2

The container shipping industry continues to face heavy port congestion and vessel delays worldwide. The situation adds to the severe lack of vessels and empty equipment availability, forcing carriers to blank sailings on some trades when these sailings could generate record revenues, encouragi... Read more

Pricing discipline replaces shipping line competition

The profound supply chain challenges unleashed by the Coronavirus pandemic are transforming the cost and characteristics of global container shipping and the shipping lines are unlikely to surrender a ‘winning-hand’. Rising container volume demand and a controlled balance of supply and dem... Read more

Making your supply chain carbon neutral

In an interview with the BBC, Maersk chief executive Soren Skou says greener shipping would cost the world’s biggest shipping lines billions of dollars and while he wants the consumer to pick up the bill, we think that low-cost action can be taken now to offset the carbon emission that shipping... Read more

Global sea freight latest weekly update

The leading container shipping lines believe that global port and inland infrastructure congestion could last until after the summer peak season and the blanked sailings keep on coming. The lines’ view is that supply chain disruptions are “temporary issues”, which would be resolved in th... Read more

Q1 review & Q2 sea freight market report

Time never stands still in global logistics, and as we come towards the end of the first quarter of the year (Q1) and approach the second (Q2), we take a moment to reflect on how 2021 has started, and how we see the deep sea markets further adjusting and progressing as we move into the next perio... Read more

RoRo fleet confidence returns

The backbone of global automotive transport is the RORO pure car carrier (PCC) or pure car/truck carrier (PCTC), with the largest capable of carrying over 8,000 cars. In a sign that confidence is returning to the automotive industry, the biggest carriers are investing in their fleets and bringing... Read more

US West Coast operation latest from our colleagues on the ground

Local knowledge is invaluable, which is why we are indebted to our joint venture partners at Fracht USA for providing us with their comprehensive intelligence. Specialists in complex and turnkey movements for the energy, technology and gas sectors, our joint venture partner Fracht operates out... Read more

Why the smart money’s on Metro

Relevant, reliable and credible services, that are consistent and proven to deliver. Historically the biggest volume shippers (BCOs), like supermarkets and the large manufacturers, have contracted directly with the shipping lines, to provide the lines’ base loads, leaving the remaining vesse... Read more

US continued port congestion latest

Congestion at ports on both sides of North America remains a severe issue, though our colleagues in the US advise us that vessel queues may be easing this week in some areas. Three blanked sailings by the Ocean Alliance should relieve some pressure on US ports, but are putting upward pressure ... Read more