There are a number of big changes happening in the international shipping industry. Just to name a few, ships have been getting much, much bigger; the Panama Canal is expanding; and carriers, the [...]
Congestion. After the last couple years, shippers are probably hoping to never see that word written in an international shipping article or blog again. Unfortunately, those hopes are doomed to [...]
Despite reportedly being 95% complete, there’s a good chance the Panama Canal expansion won’t be completed by April of next year as currently projected. I can hear those groans and [...]
International shipping is a complicated business. That’s why freight forwarders exist; they help shippers with all the international shipping details so shippers can focus on the details of [...]
At Universal Cargo Management, we love Drewry Shipping Consultants. Drewry researches and consults on the international shipping industry, and they always have great insights to share. If you [...]
After the news broke that both the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) voted to ratify the new West Coast longshore contract, the Los [...]
Iran Seizes Maersk Container Ship at Gunpoint Iran detained a Maersk container ship at gunpoint this week, complicating already delicate international relations. Helene Cooper and Danny [...]
The breakthrough that shippers, retailers, and the economy has been waiting for in the contract negotiations between the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific [...]
There’s a lot happening in the world of international shipping which affects shippers. In today’s blog we bring together the three top stories affecting shippers right now. Mayor [...]
A war of attrition: That’s what a Journal of Commerce (JOC) article by Bill Mongelluzzo says most Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) employers prefer as a better option to a lockout of the [...]
After seven long months of negotiations, the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) are still not even close to a new contract agreement. So [...]
Our last blog provided an overview of what’s happening in the South China Sea. Tensions between China, Vietnam, and the Philippines give shippers reason for a bit of worry, but the violent [...]
Snow and ice aren’t the only things causing shipping delays this winter. Changes in the ownership and management of chassis has been creating significant problems and delays for truckers [...]
Snow in Florida, record breaking drought in California, January temperatures in the 60’s in Alaska… Talking about the weather is not just a topic to break the ice or an awkward [...]
by Jared Vineyard He’s ba-aaaack. Back in November of 2011, I posted a blog on Tony Munoz, editor-in-chief of The Maritime Executive Magazine and MarEx e-Newsletter, calling President Obama out [...]
A labor strike that will shut down U.S. East Coast and Gulf ports a little more than a week from now seems unstoppable. Negotiations have once again broken down between the ILA and the USMX. [...]
You don’t often hear the words “Obama” and “maritime” in the same sentence. Maybe that’s because “Obamaritime” doesn’t quite have the right marketing ring. With the country’s long coast [...]
Q: Why are the shipping rates so volatile? A: While there are several factors involved, The primary is market demand. Traditionally from Dec through April for imports, especially from Asia to [...]
Should the U.S. repeal the Jones Act (Merchant Marine Act of 1920) and allow foreign built vessels to create a viable alternative “marine highway” for domestic moves? Issues to consider are [...]
Key Points: Vietnam’s economy has experienced rapid growth since the 1986 economic reforms and growth in international exports to Europe and the United States has accelerated in the past 5 years. [...]