Container spot rates from Asia to Europe and Asia to the US eased back further this week from their record highs. Nevertheless they are expected to stay at very elevated levels for some time. According to today’s reading of the Freightos Baltic Index (FBX), the rate for a 40ft from Asia to North...
UK chancellor Rishi Sunak caught industry offguard today, revealing eight winning bids for UK freeport status as he announced the Budget. East Midlands Airport, Felixstowe, Humber, Liverpool, Plymouth, Solent, Teesside and Thames were all awarded freeport status, amid expectations that the first one will be online by the end of the year. Mr...
Asia-North Europe container spot rates eased back slightly this week, as carriers ‘hoovered up’ stockpiled cargo accumulated before Chinese New Year. However, rates from Asia to the US increased again. Today’s reading of the Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) for a 40ft from Asia to North Europe was $8,308, compared with $8,430 a week...
Ocean freight is set to play a bigger role in south-east Asia’s booming cross-border e-commerce market. According to regional e-commerce logistics specialist J&T Express, the Covid-crisis has accelerated online spending across the region, with the market on track to reach $153bn in sales by 2025. This was the prediction before the pandemic hit...
IAG Cargo’s 18.5% rise in revenue to €1.3bn ($1.6bn) was severely overshadowed by the group’s overall €7.4bn full-year loss. Passenger revenue dived 75%, from €22.4bn to €5.5bn, while it burned through €4.1bn in cash last year. Its cargo division, as with other airlines, was the star of the show, as yields rose 94.6%,...
Shipping lines have begun suspending cargo bookings into Myanmar. A nationwide general strike took place yesterday, with hundreds of thousands on the streets protesting against the military power-grab on 1 February. “The situation is becoming more and more tense,” according to Hapag-Lloyd. “Operationally, the terminals in Myanmar are close to full capacity, and feeder services,...
Container freight and charter markets are continuing to boom post-Chinese New Year, and analysts expect favourable conditions for carriers and shipowners to last at least into the second half. “Unseasonal strength in container volumes and port congestion have buoyed freight markets, while in the time-charter markets, demand for vessels has outstripped wider...
Boeing 777 freighters will remain in the skies despite the recommendation to ground some B777 aircraft following a United Airlines engine failure on Saturday over Denver. Yesterday, Boeing said it “recommended suspending operations of the 69 in-service and 59 in-storage 777s powered by Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engines, until the FAA identifies...
Ocean carriers are determined to keep container spot rates at their highly elevated levels for as long as possible, as they look to lock in annual contract customers with rate increases of 100% or more. And with no sign of a spot rate decline following the beginning of Chinese New Year last...
The 13,092 teu Maersk Eindhoven (pictured) lost “several hundred containers overboard” as it suffered an engine blackout in bad weather yesterday, near Japan, en route from Xiamen, China to Los Angeles. This latest box spill in the north Pacific will add urgency to a review of lashing practices on ULCVs, and could lead to...
