The Loadstar

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – MSC is continuing to buy second-hand containerships, and does not appear to have lost its appetite for ordering

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – North Europe’s container hub ports are bracing themselves for the weak January import volumes from Asia to continue

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Transpacific container carryings from Asia to the US west coast fell sharply in last year’s fourth quarter reflecting

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Ocean carriers are busy cascading bigger ships on to secondary trades in order to absorb some of their surplus tonnage

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Ocean carriers do not expect consumer demand in North Europe to recover until at least March, when they hope container

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Improved booking prospects show the Asia to Mediterranean tradelane is proving more resilient than the North European

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Container spot rates from Asia to North Europe, as recorded by Drewry’s WCI index, increased by 10% this week from

By Nick Savvides (The Loadstar) – A US Federal Maritime Commission small claims officer’s (SCO) decision to uphold trucker TCW Inc’s complaint over

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – A year ago, shippers were desperate to agree annual contract deals with ocean carriers  to secure their supply

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Just 12 months ago, the 2009-built 4,253 teu Synergy Oakland was preparing to commence a two-month charter

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – THE Alliance members Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, Yang Ming and HMM have finalised their April network plans, which feature vessel

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Against a background of extremely weak demand forecasts, ocean carriers are preparing to blank around half their

By Nick Savvides (The Loadstar) – Crew onboard the Zim Iberia have written to their crewing agents asking for redeployment after they claim

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Navigating the container spot rate market has become a minefield for shipper procurement managers under pressure from

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – The 24,004 teu Ever Atop transited the Suez Canal over the weekend on its maiden voyage to North Europe,

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Since August 2020, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company brokers have completed the acquisition of nearly 250 second-hand

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Major Chinese export markets are showing signs of a recovery after the steep post-Golden Week holiday decline, led by a

By Nick Savvides (The Loadstar) – Since the pandemic began, complaints of carrier misdeeds have circulated across the industry and around the globe. In

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Ocean carriers are said to be in “panic mode” as bookings from China to North Europe and the US west coast tank,

By Nick Savvides (The Loadstar) – A Florida shipper has issued a complaint against Maersk and its subsidiary, Hamburg Süd, that includes a failure