Container pricing today is more likely to be based on a carrier’s cost of providing the service and the value of a customer’s business, rather than what on what is in the box.
The collision in northern Texas left one injured and three missing Tuesday morning.
Shippers should worry about fewer liner carriers Your June issue editorial (“Shippers should be outspoken about liner shakeout,” page 48) on what happens to shippers is a great point, but leaves out some important facts and conclusions. This will mark the sixth straight year that the container industry will lose money. The first […]
Like lawyers, insurance is a real problem, until you need it. And that’s not the way it should be. Lawyers are an integral component of the global supply chain and their value is not only when you need them but in assisting you to grow and manage your business. Those of us […]
Sometimes order matters a lot, and other times not so much. For example, if you order a turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich or a Swiss cheese and turkey sandwich, you will get the same sandwich either way. But if you are dealing with a combination lock, it makes a big difference if you try […]
2016 looks like it will be an even more difficult year for container carriers.
Just a few months ago, this column examined the potential merger between struggling South Korean container lines Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) and Hanjin Shipping (March 2016 American Shipper, “Who’s next for liner M&A?,” page 30), and the effect it would have on carrier marketshare by capacity. Although both carriers, as well as the South […]
The congestion at port terminals on the West Coast that developed in 2014-2015 during contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and employers created many shipper-carrier conflicts. Case in point: a dispute between Ponte Vedra Gifts & Accessories (PVGA), a company headquartered just outside Jacksonville, Fla., and non-vessel-operating common carrier APL […]
Commercial printer Quad/Graphics evolves to succeed in a world with more digital publishing.
An economic cliché is that Brazil is the future and always will be, and its most recent boom-bust cycle would seem to support this narrative. But maybe this time, recovery will be different. The background: As recently as 2011, Brazil seemed to be on the brink of an economic transformation. Boasting natural resources […]
Many U.S. manufacturers were relieved on May 20 when President Obama signed into law the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act, which restores the ability of Congress to consider Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) legislation after a three-year hiatus. MTBs eliminate or reduce duties on imported articles not otherwise available in the United States. Since […]
Over the first half of 2016 I’ve seen several of the biggest shippers in the world present at conferences on transformational supply chain technology initiatives across a range of activities. These tend to be companies with huge sourcing, logistics, transportation, and trade compliance demands. General Electric, HP, Unilever, Michelin. Massive complexity, huge scale, […]
It is halfway through the year, and those goals set for 2016 related to trade compliance or logistics may be a distant memory, as unplanned operational tasks overshadow the best of intentions. Goals of conducting audits or training may have been pushed to the second half of the year, or end up occurring in […]
It’s reasonable to wonder whether the container-shipping industry is headed to becoming a “commoditized” business, like buying lots of corn and soybean, or oil and gas. The condition of the container carriers is desperate: a soft global economy and a tremendous amount of container capacity to fill, and reports of steep financial losses […]
After half a decade of chairing and leading the International Air Transport Association, Tony Tyler has officially passed the torch. The ascension of Alexandre de Juniac, former chairman and chief executive officer of Air France/KLM, was made official during the three-day event in Ireland. Tyler will say goodbye forever on Sept. 1, but he […]
The United Kingdom’s vote to leave the European Union last week could have implications for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the U.S. and EU, as well as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, according to experts at the Stimson Center.
The struggling South Korean shipping line plans to return 20 containerships and 18 bulk vessels when their charters expire this year and next as the latest step in its cost cutting and restructuring efforts.
A collection of maritime industry groups on Monday released a supplementary set of frequently asked questions to support smooth implementation of the container weight rule scheduled to take effect Friday.
The International Cargo Handling Coordination Association reminded shippers and forwarders that the container weighing rule will go into effect Friday, with no three-month grace period as some have mistakenly understood.
United States GDP grew slightly more than initially expected in the first quarter of 2016, but durable goods orders fell in May, according to the most recent data from the Department of Commerce.
