The Loadstar

The Loadstar is an independent, United Kingdom based, supply chain and logistics publication covering freight forwarding, air cargo, ocean shipping, ports, and international trade policy. gCaptain republishes select Loadstar coverage under content partnership terms when stories are materially relevant to maritime and offshore readers. Loadstar stories on gCaptain are clearly attributed and may be edited for house style, formatting, and headline clarity while preserving source reporting.


Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Editorial credit: Sheila Fitzgerald / Shutterstock.com
Shipping

China’s Port Fee Retaliation Lands Lightly on U.S. Carriers

The impact of Chinese port fees on US-owned and operated ships has proved milder than

October 21, 2025
Total Views: 1524

Friday, October 17, 2025
Aerial top view of a containership underway
Shipping

Container Rates Rise for First Time in Months as Carriers Push November Increases

Container spot freight rates on the main east-west trades reversed months of consecutive declines this week with a series of general rate increases (GRIs) and

October 17, 2025
Total Views: 567

Friday, October 10, 2025
A OOCL containership docks at the Port of Long Beach
Shipping

Container Rates Hit 9-Month Low as Golden Week Slows Trade, Ceasefire Lifts Red Sea Outlook

Container spot freight rates saw another week of moderate decline on the main east-west routes amid subdued trading activity due to the Golden Week holiday,

October 10, 2025
Total Views: 755

Friday, October 3, 2025
Aerial view of a container terminal
Shipping

Container Spot Rates Extend Decline Across Main East-West Trades

Due to China’s Golden Week holiday, underway since Wednesday, there was no Shanghai Containerised Freight Index (SCFI) this week – however, Drewry’s

October 3, 2025
Total Views: 678

Friday, September 26, 2025
Aerial top view of a containership at port. Stock Photo: Shutterstock/Avigator Fortuner
Shipping

Golden Week Gloom: Container Spot Rates Tumble Across East-West Trades

With the Chinese Golden Week holiday beginning next Wednesday, there was little surprise that spot rates on the main east-west ocean trades continued to

September 26, 2025
Total Views: 1123

Friday, September 19, 2025
A cargo ship full of shipping containers is seen at the port of Oakland as trade tensions escalate over U.S. tariffs.
Shipping

Freight Rate War Engulfs Asia-Europe asTranspacific Rally Vanishes

With spot rates on Asia-Europe shipments now being discounted on an almost daily basis, freight buyers on the trades fear that a new freight rate war may now

September 19, 2025
Total Views: 1153

Monday, September 15, 2025
cargo ships loading at port of oakland
Shipping

Carriers Shuffle Fleets Ahead of U.S. Port Fees on China-Built Ships

The Premier Alliance has separated its transatlantic MS2 service into two loops, one Asia-Mediterranean (MD2) and the other, a Middle East-US lane (GS2), to

September 15, 2025
Total Views: 2730

Thursday, September 11, 2025
Tugs assist a CMA CGM containership to its berth at the Port of Savannah
Shipping

CMA CGM Resists Adding Surcharge Ahead of USTR’s China Port Fees—For Now

CMA CGM has become the latest major carrier to indicate that it will not add a new surcharge on shipments to the US that may be affected by the forthcoming

September 11, 2025
Total Views: 1015

Friday, August 29, 2025
Aerial view of a container terminal
Shipping

Spot Rate Slump Threatens to Sink Carrier Profits

Container spot freight rates on the main east-west deepsea trades witnessed more declines this week, as a combination of weak demand and excess supply of slot

August 29, 2025
Total Views: 1168

Wednesday, August 27, 2025
A Maersk containership berthed at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia.
Shipping

Ocean Carriers Launch ‘Aggressive Push’ for Market Share

The race for cargo has begun between carriers as volumes dip and fleet growth hits its new record, with the alliances eyeing different

August 27, 2025
Total Views: 1006

Friday, August 22, 2025
Aerial view of a container terminal
Shipping

Container Spot Rates Fall for 10th Week After Early Peak

Container spot rates have experienced their tenth consecutive week of declines – albeit with indications of some form of stabilisation – so, is it more of

August 22, 2025
Total Views: 570

containership
Shipping

Analysts Warn of Overcapacity as Containership Orderbook Reaches 15-Year High

Mid-size and feeder vessels continue to dominate newbuilding orders in the past week, taking the box ship orderbook to well over 10m teu, a 15-year

August 22, 2025
Total Views: 614

Tuesday, August 19, 2025
Pure car and truck carrier in port
Shipping

Shippers File Fresh Federal Maritime Commission Complaints

More shippers have lodged complaints with the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), with DB Schenker USA and Wallenius Wilhelmsen (WW) the latest operators

August 19, 2025
Total Views: 1787

Friday, August 15, 2025
Aerial top view of a containership underway
Shipping

Muted Peak Season Hopes as Tariffs, Overcapacity Weigh on Ocean Carriers

On the ocean freight rates front, it was more of the same this week; a slowdown in the speed of decline seemingly the best carriers can hope for –

August 15, 2025
Total Views: 1297

Tuesday, August 5, 2025
EUNAVFOR Aspides forces escort a CMA CGM containership in the Red Sea
Shipping

Red Sea Risk Widens as Houthis Vow to Target Carriers Tied to Israel

Carriers have been warned to proceed “with extreme caution” following the major widening of the Houthis’ sphere of attacks announced last week, with

August 5, 2025
Total Views: 1504

Friday, August 1, 2025
SeaLead Terminates Charters on Sanctioned Ships Linked to Iran
Shipping

SeaLead Terminates Charters on Sanctioned Ships Linked to Iran

Singapore carrier SeaLead Shipping yesterday terminated charters on 16 ships caught up in the US Office of Foreign Asset Control’s (OFAC) sanctions on an

August 1, 2025
Total Views: 1958

Aerial top view of a containership at port. Stock Photo: Shutterstock/Avigator Fortuner
Shipping

Container Spot Rates Flat as Peak Season Fails to Materialize

Container spot freight rates on the major east-west trades were barely unchanged for yet another week, as expected peak season volumes are yet to materialise

August 1, 2025
Total Views: 667

Friday, July 25, 2025
A cargo ship is moored in the Port of Long Beach while cranes retrieve cargo containers from the ship
Shipping

Transpacific and Asia-Europe Spot Rates Soften Despite Looming GRIs

Spot container freight rates on the transpacific and Asia-Europe trades continued to soften this week, with no general rate increases (GRIs) or peak season

July 25, 2025
Total Views: 591

Friday, July 18, 2025
A cargo ship is moored in the Port of Long Beach while cranes retrieve cargo containers from the ship
Shipping

GRIs Fizzle as Transpacific Spot Rates Extend Losing Streak

It was a relatively flat week for pricing on the major deepsea box shipping trades, with a scheduled mid-week general rate increase (GRI) failing to lift

July 18, 2025
Total Views: 856

Thursday, July 17, 2025
Aerial top view of a containership underway
Shipping

Container Shipping Faces Prolonged Overcapacity Through 2028, Analysts Warn

Liner analysts have warned that the supply and demand curve will continue to widen before hitting a peak in 2028, as vessel orderbooks grow and demolition

July 17, 2025
Total Views: 908