Asia-Pacific

Shipping line Maersk has completed the $3.6 billion takeover of Asian retail distribution specialist LF Logistics.

Making freight and logistics activities sustainable in the Asia-Pacific region is anything but simple.

DHL Express has added two large freighters to its fleet to bolster service between the Asia-Pacific and the U.S. and Europe, in response to “exponential” growth in shipment volume. The […]

Kuehne + Nagel will become the top global air and ocean freight management company when it completes its purchase of Hong Kong’s Apex Logistics International.

Kuehne + Nagel is the second-largest logistics services provider in the world. It just got bigger, swallowing up Hong Kong’s Apex International.

1988: The U.S.-Far East container trade will undergo a significant drop in growth over the next few years, according to a study recently completed by the research firm of Temple, Barker & Sloane Inc.

What peak buying season means for maritime freight and how an Asian trade deal affects shipping costs “Sponsored by Amazon Freight.” freight.amazon.com Amazon Freight | We treat your freight like […]

International travel is Qantas Airways’ bread-and-butter business, but it has been mostly wiped out by the coronavirus crisis. Now that underutilized side of the company is getting folded into the domestic unit to save money.

Bain & Co report discusses the region’s e-commerce market and the futuristic trends that are at play.

Lori Ann LaRocco explains why intra-Asian trade is down and its affect on the United States.

Even a full U.S.-China trade deal might not stop shippers moving production out of China. But is the U.S. a realistic option?

Resilience360’s report on the impact of U.S.-China trade war discusses the uncertainty it has brought to global trade.

Santa seems likely to leave some coal in the airfreight industry’s stocking this year, but some see 2020 turning to glitter if the industry can get past what is poised to be a difficult Q1.

Integrated logistics services provider Tasco, a subsidiary of Yusen Logistics and an NYK Group company, has reported flat second quarter revenues and costs but a surge in net profit. Its six month figures don’t look so great though and equities analysts are disappointed.

Courier, domestic and international logistics company GD Express reported a slowdown in total comprehensive income in its latest quarterly results. The company generated increased revenues but increased costs too. Profits shrank.

Lorenzo Shipping took drastic action to begin stemming its losses. But the emphasis is on “begin”. There’s still a long way to go, as Lorenzo is currently on track for a multi-million dollar loss

Japan’s freight industry is set for a downturn on the back of declining economies in the U.S., China and the Eurozone, new research reveals.

The $42.3 million bust is the latest in a string of global maritime drug seizures at sea and in ports.

A survey of 600 industrial buyers in three Asia-Pacific countries found that buyers rely as much on traditional forms of procurement channels as they do on e-commerce, and that so-called […]

A major developer of, and financial investor in, Asia Pacific logistics parks has launched a potential US$1.24 billion initial public offer on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

Yang Ming Marine Transport (TSE: 2609) narrowed its first quarter 2019 loss thanks to higher volumes of container shipments. The Taiwanese liner operator reported first quarter revenue of $1.14 billion, […]

Tokyo, Japan-based ocean carrier, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha http://kline.com/ (TYO:9107) has recorded a fall in revenues of Japanese Yen of 325,293 million down to JPY 836,731 million (US$7.5 billion) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019. Several board members have been removed.

Japanese transport company, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) (JPX:9101) has today reported a loss of approximately US$400 million (Japanese Yen 44.5 billion)  for the year ended March 31, 2019. Following the red ink bloodbath, the company has replaced the chairman, president and representative directors.

There has been a steep drop in the volume of box traffic handled at Hong Kong, one of the world’s busiest box ports. Containerized throughput at Hong Kong took a dive in the first three months of 2019 when compared to the first quarter of 2018, according to preliminary figures from the Hong Kong Marine Department. Box traffic was down, on average, by 10.2 percent in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the first quarter of 2018.

Keelung, Taiwan-headquartered ocean container carrier Yang Ming has announced that it signed charter agreements on April 10 for four box ships of 11,000 TEU with ship-owning specialist Shoei Kisen Kaisa of Imabari City, Japan.

Australian mining giant Rio Tinto has admitted that there was a fire that damaged some of its iron ore export facilities at the port of Dampier last weekend. This story also includes a production losses update, a current cyclone weather update and an iron ore market analysis.

EXCLUSIVE: a fire at the Port of Dampier has seriously damaged iron ore miner and exporter Rio Tinto’s facilities. Iron ore exports from Dampier are likely to be severely disrupted. Iron ore prices will come under pressure, sources say, adding that dry bulk rates will “fall through the floor”.

Australia’s maritime officials are keeping a wary eye on the oceans around north west Australia as Cyclone Wallace menaces the Pilbara-region coastline. The harbour master for Port Walcott directed that the port be cleared. However, it was a narrow miss for iron ore export facility, Port Walcott, as the cyclone swerved away. And so the harbour master cancelled the direction to clear the port. Iron ore exports are, nonetheless, likely to disrupted. But it’s not over yet as, to the north east of Wallace, a “tropical low” is threatening to build up into a cyclone too.

Cosco Shipping Logistics, JD Logistics and Orient Overseas International Ltd. (OOIL) indirect subsidiary “Gold Talent” have inked a complex joint venture deal to fund online international supply chain platform Eshipping with, ultimately, US$44.7 million of capital.

Brisbane, Australia-based construction company Watpac has been contracted to provide design, engineering and construction services to EPIK, a South Korean liquefied natural gas (LNG) developer for the construction and placement of a floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) at the Port of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia. Watpac is a subsidiary of Belgian multi-disciplinary engineering company, Besix.

Global mega-box port operator China Merchants Port Holdings recorded a 6 percent increase in its world box throughput in 2018 compared to the year before. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed port operator revealed its throughput details while disclosing that it had generated revenues of HK$10.16 billion (US$1.29 billion) in its annual report.

A major iron ore export port with 185 million tons iron ore capacity on Australia’s north west coast has been absolutely clobbered by the recent category four Cyclone Veronica, FreightWaves can exclusively reveal. Port Walcott’s operational ability is down by nearly 90 percent. Rio Tinto has declared force majeure to its customers. Major miner, Rio Tinto, which operates the port, is mostly staying silent. Dry bulk freight rates are likely to be hit, dry bulk sources say.

In part two, the company’s global airfreight market report is featured and provides a demand outlook for global airfreight by region along with insight on cost inflation, capacity and pricing.

On a call with freight procurement intelligence company, Beroe, Inc., the firm discusses its outlook for global road freight growth of 4 to 5 percent.

It was largely a further slide down the slippery slope for the Shanghai Shipping Exchange’s China Containerized Freight Index, week ending March 22. Rates on nearly all seaborne containerized routes were down compared to the week before. Rates were also largely down on the benchmark containerized routes as compiled by Drewry Maritime Advisors.

All ocean shipping, port and cargo operations remain shut at the world’s two largest dry bulk ports, Hedland and Dampier, owing to the passage of Severe Tropical Cyclone Veronica. Major liquefied natural gas export facilities along the north western Australian coast have also suspended operations. It’s the fourth consecutive day of suspended operations as Cyclone Veronica is moving very slowly. But there could be weeks of delay if Veronica soaks the landscape.

Hong Kong-based Tigers, a global transportation and logistics company, is the latest member of the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA). BiTA is developing blockchain standards for the global transportation/logistics/supply chain marketplace.

Biofuels created by recycling used cooking oils are being tested by ocean-going ships in pilot trials around the world. Such biofuels may even be gaining acceptance by ocean-shippers, freight forwarders and ship operators.

International oil major BP has announced that it will retail a new very low sulfur fuel oil following successful sea trials, however, it has not released a date when sales will begin. The fuel will have a maximum sulfur content of 0.5 percent and will be sold by BP around the world. BP is one of several refiners, such as Shell and Sinopec, that are offering or are researching low-sulfur fuel.

Panelists discussed current market data and how the TCA educates its members to operationalize data in their businesses.

Down, down, down – freight rates are down, nearly across the board, on export and import routes to and from China, according to indices published by the Shanghai Shipping Exchange.

International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI) has released solid results for 2018. The port and terminal operator, which is headquartered in Manila, Philippines, had an up-up-up 2018 compared to 2017. ICTSI’s box volumes were higher, revenues increased and the group generated higher profit.

Political tensions in the Washington-Beijing bilateral relationship are making the China-based U.S. business community uneasy. Tariffs are being blamed for driving business confidence down, decreasing investment and for re-routing Asia-Pacific supply chains.