Logitsics News

Traffic in Egypt's Suez Canal has so far been unaffected by the spread of the coronavirus, the chief of its authority said on Wednesday, citing a 4.6% increase year-on-year in the number of ships passing through.The canal is the fastest shipping route between Europe and Asia and one of the Egyptian government's main sources of foreign currency.The container shipping industry, a bellwether for international trade, has been blown off course by the new virus, which brought parts of China to a standstill before spreading around the world…

Ships and their crews must be able to trade freely with minimal port restrictions to ensure supply lines don't freeze up while the coronavirus shuts down much of the globe, shipping and port officials said on Tuesday.After draconian steps to stop the spread of the virus, China's economy is slowly coming back online but logistics chains are backing up in other parts of the world.This has been compounded by ships being quarantined for up to two weeks and seafarers held up as countries impose lockdowns to stop the spread of the virus.The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) association…

The Port of Savannah is bringing online 400,000 TEUs of annual container capacity at just the time when many port customers are seeking new storage options."With slowing demand related to the coronavirus, port users need space to stage their cargo until that demand returns," said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch. "With these new container stack areas, Savannah is delivering the flexibility our customers need."GPA recently added container slots totaling nearly 5,000 TEUs of space to its operation.

The Northwest Seaport Alliance’s total container volume for January 2020 was 263,816 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a 19.1% decrease from January 2019.Following an unprecedented international container throughput for the same month last year — tied to shippers moving cargo ahead of tariffs, it created a larger than usual gap in the year-over-year figures for January 2020. Imports fell 21.4%, and exports declined 20.5%.The NWSA also continues to monitor developments of the coronavirus outbreak and expects to see negative impacts to the international trade industry…

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index remained flat on Thursday, as higher rates for panamax vessels offset weaker rates for other vessel categories.The Baltic index, which tracks rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels that ferry dry bulk commodities, was unchanged at 421.The main index slid to a near 4-year low of 411 earlier this week.The capesize index fell 25 points to negative 284.Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 170,000-180…

Understanding how changes in shipping traffic and distributions of fin, humpback, and blue whales in the Pacific Ocean affect the risk of whales being struck by ships is the focus of a new study published in the scientific journal, Frontiers. The findings also have implications for highly endangered North Atlantic right whales in the Atlantic Ocean.Dr. Jessica V. Redfern, an Ecologist, Senior Scientist, and Chair of the new Spatial Ecology, Mapping, and Assessment Program (EcoMap) at the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, is the lead author of the study.

China's fast-spreading coronavirus is throwing the global container shipping trade out of sync, with lines re-routing cargoes and reducing calls to Chinese ports, setting the scene for months of delivery delays ahead, industry sources said.The spread of the deadly virus has shut down cities and factories in China and disrupted global air travel.China's decision to extend its Lunar New Year holiday period until Feb. 10 has compounded logistical complications, despite its ports staying open.

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index dropped for the 13th consecutive session on Tuesday as waning demand across vessels and the coronavirus outbreak dampened sentiment.The Baltic index, which tracks rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels to ferry dry bulk commodities, fell 13 points, or 2.8%, to 453.The capesize index decreased 31 points to a negative 133, a fresh all-time low.Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 170,000-180,000 tonne cargoes including iron ore and coal…

The intermodal service provider European Gateway Services (EGS) offers network of connections between all deepsea terminals Maasvlakte Rotterdam with Nuremberg in Netharlands.The Rotterdam - Nuremberg rail shuttle is now already calling at all the deepsea terminals at the Maasvlakte (1 and 2).Three times a week, EGS provides a rail connection between Rotterdam and Nuremberg in the state of Bavaria and vice versa. In view of the success of this connection and an increase in the number of requests, RWG will also be directly served as of the 1st of February.By doing so, EGS is responding to the wishes of shippers, forwarders and shipping companies…

Russia's Surgutneftegaz awarded 380,000 tonnes of Urals crude oil loading from the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk and the Baltic's Ust-Luga in February, traders said.A cargo of 100,000 tonnes loading from Ust-Luga over Feb. 19-20 was sold at dated Brent minus $1.80 a barrel when adding freight to an original FOB differential, traders said. French oil major Total was the buyer, they said.Surgutneftegaz also awarded two Urals cargoes of 140,000 tonnes each for loading from Novorossiisk Feb. 15-16 and Feb. 17-18.

Swiss headquartered container shipping group MSC has appointed Soren Toft as the new chief executive officer of its cargo business from rival company A.P. Moller Maersk, an MSC spokesman said on Monday.A start date for Toft has yet to be determined, the spokesman said.Maersk, the world's biggest container line, said last week that Toft, who had served as its head of operations, had decided to leave the company to pursue outside opportunities.MSC is the world's second-largest container shipping line and is seen by industry watchers as a challenger to Maersk's position.

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