Are you feeling festive yet?! Maybe not, but sea freight imports need to be organised soon to get them in time for Christmas! Time is of the essence. Please contact a member of our team as we have very competitive rates for this month – email [email protected] or call 02380 337778 We handle all types…

Pressure is mounting on container ports to improve efficiency in terminal operations, as wholesale change in the shipping industry continues to increase competition and drive down revenue per box. According to Mark Welles, Navis vice president and general manager Asia Pacific, terminal operators are “aggressively attacking their cost base and figuring out ways to use…

Following the footsteps of Maersk Line, the Swiss and French container shipping giants MSC and CMA CGM have unveiled their intention to introduce a new fuel adjustment surcharge ahead of the 2020 sulphur cap. Mediterranean Shipping Company plans to introduce a new Global Fuel Surcharge as of January 1, 2019. The company expects its operating costs…

Shippers are facing an anxious wait as the crisis in the UK haulage sector tightens its grip. CMA CGM subsidiary ANL has announced a six-day delay on export collections due to a reduction in haulage availability, and HMM revising its policy. ANL told customers the next available collection at major ports, including Felixstowe, London Gateway and Southampton, would be 17…

One forwarder told The Loadstar all UK ports had been affected by problems ranging from driver shortages and rail failures to issues arising from M&A activity. Advance road bookings now require up to 10 days lead time. “We are seeing failures on some 20% of the boxes we handle; that’s thousands of boxes, and from what we are…

Typhoons and tropical storms have already hit Asia during July and August which have had a serious impact on port operations. This in turn means that we may experience delays caused by the inclement weather. The number of vessels arriving into port is likely to be disrupted with ports closing because of poor weather conditions.…

Singapore has topped the 2018 International Shipping Centre Development (ISCD) Index as the world’s best shipping centre for the fifth year in a row, beating cities including Hong Kong, Shanghai and London. The index, which was published by the Baltic Exchange and Chinese news agency Xinhua, ranks 43 of the largest ports and cities in…

China's newest and largest container ship has ABB turbochargers installed to help to ensure optimal performance and fuel efficiency.  The flagship in Cosco Shipping Line's Universe mega containership series, the 21,000+ TEU COSCO Shipping Universe, was delivered in June 2018 by Chinese shipbbuilder Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co. Ltd. The vessel is equipped with three ABB A180-L two-stroke…

Fuel prices are on the increase again, which is liable to have a considerable impact on the freight industry. Fuel is now at its highest cost since 2014, and the main reasons for this are the war in Syria, Iranian tensions and biofuel for renewable energy increases. As a result, pump prices and bunkering have…

German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd is cutting costs to cope with a rise in fuel prices that led it to slash full year earnings forecasts last month, its chief executive told shareholders on this week. “Major cost positions have risen more than initially expected and are pressuring operating margins,” CEO Rolf Habben Jansen said in Hamburg. “We…