Shipping lines have been in the red in the trans-Pacific trades for months. They may have just inched back into the black again, courtesy of the rise in spot rates over the past five weeks. Annual trans-Pacific contract rates reset to sharply lower levels in May. Even so, multiple ocean carrier execs insisted on conference…
As originally published in The Wallstreet Journal The shipping capacity squeeze is moving from the water to land, warns The Wall Street Journal. Logistics executives say sea containers and the steel trailers needed to ferry goods on trucks are in short supply, as efforts to cope with steep inventory imbalances send new backups rippling across…
As originally published in The Wallstreet Journal Container imports at the largest U.S. gateway for seaborne goods trade fell sharply in November, even as backups of ships waiting to unload cargo at the Southern California ports have been growing. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach together handled the equivalent of 765,963 loaded inbound…
As originally published in SupplyChainBrain Slow post recessionary recovery has fostered uncertainty in many markets, but few have felt the effects as strongly as deep sea cargo transportation. The market’s emblem—an ancient, laboring ship that is slow to adapt to obstacles in its path—has become an apt metaphor for the market itself. Financial risk, absent demand…
As originally published in SupplyChainBrain International and domestic air cargo transportation services have shown tepid signs of recovery in the years following the recession, with estimated average price growth of only 0.2% and 0.3% each year from 2013 to 2016, respectively. While weak demand growth for shipping services and falling capacity utilization have cut into revenue…
A firsthand perspective on the struggles in a logistics company. Some of you may be reading this as if I am going to complain about the carriers, the customers, and the processs associated with shipping. I’m not. In an age of instant gratification, it is still difficult to have a seamless shipment in an industry that is…
There is Potential for Dramatic Political Change and Industry Consolidation Most elected leaders face a problem after winning an election: they can’t stop campaigning. Slogans, rhetoric, victory and the adulation of fans at crowded rallies can be intoxicating, but at some point, reality sets in and the business of governing needs to be attended to.…
Amazon’s got its Prime Air, but Alibaba just raised the stakes with the announcement of a partnership with Maersk Line that enables customers to reserve space on its ocean vessels online. In addition to cutting out freight forwarding middlemen and opening pathways to global markets, the move is being seen as a shot in the…
Amazon has been in the maritime forwarding business since October 2016, according to an “Ocean Audit” report cited by the Wall Street Journal. While Amazon has not commented, this latest news fleshes out the e-commerce giant’s multimodal logistics strategy, which includes freight forwarding and direct involvement in trucking, airfreight and, now, seafreight. Starting this month,…
Which shipper wouldn’t like to work with the top freight forwarders out there? Yet the choice of the right forwarding partner can be a daunting task. Freight forwarders are providing crucial services in the transportation industry. As they are in charge of storing and shipping your goods, often your business’ success is tightly linked to the…