The global shipping industry is constantly evolving, and the COVID-19 pandemic began a marked shift in how container shipping operates. Disruption caused by the pandemic has forced the industry to expand its capacity and reduce costs to remain profitable.
At the peak of the pandemic, containers essentially stopped moving. As manufacturers went into lockdown and closed factories, many of the containers used to ship those manufactured goods were left stranded at ports or storage depots, where they weren’t needed. Simultaneously, freight shippers were reducing the number of vessels in use due to the manufacturing slowdown. This limited global shipping capacity and disrupted the worldwide flow of containers and goods. As a result, some regions were left with an excess of stored containers, while other places were left with no containers at all.
As the pandemic slowed and the global economy began to rebound, labor shortages and congestion at ports have left many of these stored containers stuck where they aren’t needed. Now, instead of a shortage of shipping containers, the industry is dealing with too many. Many container storage depots are turning away new clients due to lack of space, and some shippers are even giving containers away to make room. Blank and cancelled sailings are increasing as well, as shippers decide to skip a port or cancel a trip altogether in order to manage changes in demand and capacity.
Check back here for the latest news and insights on the state of the container shipping industry. You can also visit our maritime news archive to learn more about cargo shipping, or our American Shipper archive for air cargo shipping industry news.
The Chinese company operating ports at the Panama Canal has filed for arbitration after a high court voided its contracts.
One of the biggest ocean container shipping partnerships said it will return to the Red Sea-Suez Canal trade route with help from naval forces.
Falling prices for containers moving from Asia to the United States could be one indicator that truck rates and tender rejections will soon continue to move up.
Ocean Network Express posted a net loss of $88 million in the third fiscal quarter on weaker container traffic and rates.
The Hong Kong company that operates ports at the Panama Canal will have to relinquish control after a court ruling.
Port Houston posted record container and truck volumes in 2025, while Port of Corpus Christi saw modest overall declines in cargo traffic.
CMA CGM forms a joint venture to manage 10 global marine terminals, including two in the United States.
Container rates on a key U.S. route are dropping earlier than expected, suggesting retailer caution caused by trade war uncertainty.
The Federal Maritime Commission is investigating whether ocean carriers are restricting truckers’ and shippers’ choice of chassis providers.
A chilling video by Yemen’s Houthi militia seemed to threaten more violence against Red Sea shipping if the U.S. attacks Iran.
Ocean container rates out of Asia fell by double-digits in the latest week following Chinese New Year.
Container ports and railroads along the upper Atlantic seaboard are taking safety measures ahead of the storm that could bring heavy snow to key logistics corridors.
As global trade tensions persist, Misumi has turned to digital manufacturing leader Dave Evans to guide its Americas growth strategy.
Underscoring maritime’s global importance, top U.S. port’s CEO was invited to the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos to discuss trade and supply chains.
The Port of Los Angeles saw its third-best year for container volume despite months of challenging trade headwinds and economic uncertainty.
A major ocean container line reversed its decision to return to the Red Sea just weeks after resuming scheduled sailings through the troubled trade route.
Ocean container shipping holds its collective breath as Trump threatens new EU tariffs over Greenland purchase.
The Port of Long Beach, half of the busiest U.S. container gateway, is laying plans to double throughput to 20 million containers by 2050.
A return of major liners to the Red Sea could return massive capacity to shipping and further pressure rates in an uneven market, an analyst says.
Maersk is returning to the Red Sea for the first time since Houthi rebels began attacking shipping in 2023.
The Port of Oakland saw container volumes finish narrowly down in 2025 amid uneven trade conditions.
Trans-Pacific shipping rates have been increasing since mid-December, rising by approximately 5% in the last week.
Canada’s Port Saint John and DP World completed the eastern maritime hub’s $178 million West Side Modernization Project.
Iran protests could signal a positive change for shipping as Maersk makes another successful voyage on the contested Red Sea-Suez Canal shipping route.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved construction of the Sparrows Point Container Terminal project backed by Mediterranean Shipping Co.
Global container demand grew 7.2% y/y in November, except in North America, where it fell 3.9%.
The Port of Portland has re-opened Terminal 6 under private management in a move to give new life to the troubled facility.
Container rates on the eastbound trans-Pacific are climbing, but several factors are likely to weigh on a rebound.
The Port of Oakland saw agricultural and refrigerated exports post November gains while overall volumes were seasonally weaker.
The Trump administration delayed planned tariff hikes on furniture, while sharply reducing proposed 90% duties on Italian pasta.
The Maduro regime left Venezeula’s busiest port “in shambles,” as an international port services consortium seeks to reclaim its concession there.
Rising trans-Pacific ocean freight rates are expected to climb further as demand picks up in anticipation of the Lunar New Year holiday.
Maersk has promoted its Asia Pacific chief and former Schenker executive to lead its North America business.
That shift from passive tracking to active intelligence is what separates Portcast from the crowded field of logistics visibility tools.
Israel-based Zim said it is evaluating multiple acquisition proposals reported to include Maersk, MSC and Hapag-Lloyd but has ruled out a buyout by its CEO.
The Asia-U.S. container market continued its Q4 volatility, with climbing West Coast rates offset by a dip in East Coast prices.
There has been no confirmation regarding online images that appear to show a Chinese cargo ship equipped with missile launchers, radar and other military hardware.
Port Houston’s cargo volumes declined in November amid seasonal and market headwinds.
The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority announced the retirement of CEO Jeff Theobald, the fourth such leadership change at a North American port this year.
The U.S. ocean container market is a tale of two coasts as carriers manage divergent conditions, notes analyst Xeneta.
A Maersk vessel made a successful transit of the Red Sea, but the carrier said it is not ready to commit to a full return to the Suez Canal trade route.
Despite trade uncertainty, Port of Los Angeles volume nears 10 million TEUs in 2025, among the top three years in its history.
The top U.S. East Coast port adds more than three decades to lease with its busiest container terminal operator as it eyes long-term growth.
Ocean Network Express will return to the Red Sea in a slot charter agreement with Regional Container Lines of China
China is pushing for state-owned ship operator Cosco to acquire a controlling stake in a $22.8 billion deal for global ports that include two Panama Canal hubs.
Capacity reductions and additional blanked sailings by carriers struggle to maintain recent General Rate Increases on the trans-Pacific.
Nauta was founded just a year and a half ago on the premise that global supply chains run on unglamorous but essential work, and that this work is long overdue for a technological upgrade. Built by a team of technologists and logistics obsessives, the company set out to build an AI-native operating system for importers. […]
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd said they are eliminating a U.S. East Coast call as the Gemini partners fine-tune North Europe-North America services.
Maersk has appointed a new CFO and shifted regional business leaders, including for North America, as rival carriers chip away at its dominant position in the global shipping business.
A supply and demand imbalance continues to weaken pricing on U.S. container trade routes as ocean carriers chase a softer market with more ships, particularly to the U.S. East Coast, Xeneta data shows.
DP World is rebranding its Unifeeder liner operator and two other divisions as it unifies its Marine Services units.
Mexico approved tariffs of up to 50% on Chinese and Asian imports, a move analysts say is aimed at placating the Trump administration.
A car accident claimed the life of a Florida port executive early Monday in Jacksonville.
Year-over-year declines in import cargo volume at major container ports are expected to continue in 2026 due to the impact of tariffs and ongoing trade policy uncertainty.
A recent uptick in eastbound container rates couldn’t offset trans-Pacific prices that are 20%-30% lower than a month ago.
The Alabama Port Authority has begun the $100 million reconstruction of Pier B South, while construction advances on the Montgomery Intermodal Container Transfer Facility.
Hapag-Lloyd wants to buy Israel’s Zim container line, but Arab investment in the German company could push a deal to another suitor.
A global ocean container index rose 7% amid rate adjustments on key trans-Pacific and Asia–Europe routes.
Port of Long Beach second-in-command Noel Hacegaba is moving up to chief executive as Mario Cordero departs.
Costco has sued the Trump administration to secure potential refunds on its import tariffs.
Container ships sailing through the Suez Canal marked the second-lowest weekly level amid talk of a return by the largest box carriers through the Mideast trade route.
U.S. ports urge strict evaluation by Surface Transportation Board of proposed transcontinental rail merger, cautioning on impact to the supply chain and economy.
Container rates on the benchmark Asia-U.S. container trade route fell due to overcapacity, while a Red Sea return may pressure rates, and congestion.
Maersk denied reports that it has set a timeline to resume services through the Red Sea-Suez Canal route.
CMA CGM has expanded barge service for containers moving from North Vietnam to the port of Haiphong and connections to the United States.
More than a hundred firefighters and emergency personnel were battling an electrical fire aboard a ONE container ship that shut four terminals at the Port of Los Angeles.
Port Houston showed strong October cargo gains, including an 18% jump in containers and a 21% surge in breakbulk.
Maersk is moving its North American headquarters to North Carolina after many years operating out of northern New Jersey.
Investigators said an improperly placed label on a wire caused a container ship to lose power and crash into the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore in 2024.
Steady October volume has put the Port of Los Angeles within reach of 10 million TEUs for a record third consecutive year.
Now-paused port fees on Chinese ships were a misguided attempt to revitalize U.S. maritime fortunes at the expense of American exporters, a trade group leader says.
The Port of Oakland saw loaded containers improve 2.2% October from September as global shipping rebalanced.
The world’s third-largest container carrier said Q3 profits fall 72.6% on geopolitics and heightened trade tensions.
A Trailer Bridge barge that was looted after it grounded in the Bahamas is on the way back to Jacksonville.
Declining container volumes are aiding port and terminal operations, but trucking issues could impact the supply chain in 2026, a new report finds.
Hapag-Lloyd saw profits tumble as global trade uncertainty hurt container rates despite higher revenue.
Descartes: U.S. container imports in October posted only the second month-over-month decline in the past decade.
Yemen militia’s possible halt to Red Sea attacks may drastically cut shipping freight rates, but uncertainties persist.
Container lines are using rate hikes and blank sailings to manage capacity surplus and faltering demand.
Frontloading that fueled an early peak import shipping season helped keep Port of Long Beach container traffic ahead of 2024’s record pace despite a weaker October.
The U.S. Trade Representative officially suspended fees on cargo ships built in China, which whipsawed global shipping struggling to cope with the effects of tariffs and a realigning of trade.
The Suez Canal Authority held discussions with major ocean shipping lines to discuss a return to the strife-torn Red Sea route.
Container ports will see a more pronounced import slowdown to start 2026, the National Retail Federation predicts.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is asking for public comment on the proposal to suspend port fees on Chinese ships.
A slate of China agreements clears some of the uncertainty around ocean shipping, but questions still surround demand in the U.S. and other markets.
Maersk adjusted a portion of its guidance upward for 2025 earnings after a quarter that saw higher volumes but lower profits.
Matson saw its shares gain as a positive outlook for China-related shipping outweighed weaker financial results in the third quarter.
Ocean Network Express said earnings fell in the recent quarter on weaker revenue per container, and revised its forecast lower for 2025.
The U.S. and China have agreed to a one-year trade truce that cuts tariffs, resumes U.S. soybean purchases and keeps rare earths exports flowing.
The United States and China have suspended their respective port fees on each other’s ships amid progress on a new trade agreement.
The Port of Baltimore welcomed the Neoliner Origin, the world’s first wind-powered, industrial-scale cargo ship to arrive in the United States.
Trans-Pacific container rates improved 15% to 20% last week as U.S. negotiators made progress on Asia trade deals.
Port Houston completed its portion of the Houston Ship Channel expansion, while residents press for offshore disposal of potentially contaminated dredge material.
U.S. container ports continue to author a strong comeback from the pandemic despite some current headwinds to trade conditions.
The U.S. maritime industry faces challenges and opportunities in global trade and shipbuilding, the former chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission tells F3: The Future of Freight Festival.
Asia-U.S. container rates rallied on carrier-imposed GRIs and tighter capacity, despite trade tensions.
MSC, the world’s largest ocean container line, may re-flag some vessels in India to align with new shipping rules.
Decrease in Oakland port volume reflects tariff uncertainty and shifting global trade flows, over seasonal trends.
Despite progress, the port of Los Angeles-Long Beach said hurdles remain to achieving their goal of zero-emissions drayage by 2035.
Dockworker unions in the U.S. and Europe are calling on labor to meet for a global anti-automation summit in November.
