The Loadstar

The Loadstar is fast becoming known at the highest levels of logistics and supply chain management as one of the best sources of influential analysis and commentary.


Friday, February 14, 2025
The Ever Max ready to transit the Panama Canal. Photo courtesy Panama Canal Authority
Shipbuilding

Evergreen Expands Fleet with $3B Order for 24,000 TEU Behemoths

Evergreen is to spend more than $3bn on another series of 24,000 teu ultra-large

February 14, 2025
Total Views: 971

Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Aerial view of a container ship
Shipping

Ocean Carriers Scramble as GRIs Hit a Wall

Blanked sailings and general rate increases (GRIs) have failed to arrest the drop in Asia-North Europe freight rates, with slot utilisation less than 95% amid

February 11, 2025
Total Views: 983

Friday, February 7, 2025
Aerial top view of a containership at port. Stock Photo: Shutterstock/Avigator Fortuner
Shipping

Spot Rates Sink Post-CNY: Is a Price War Brewing in Asia-Europe Trades?

Despite large parts of the Chinese workforce continuing to enjoy the new year holiday, there was a partial return to work for other parts of the economy,

February 7, 2025
Total Views: 579

Monday, February 3, 2025
Containers are seen at the Yangshan Deep-Water Port in Shanghai.REUTERS/Aly Song
Shipping

Trump’s Trade War Redux Provokes Sharp Industry Response, While China ‘Breathes Sigh of Relief’

Warnings of recession greeted the imposition of sweeping tariffs against the US’s three biggest trading partners on

February 3, 2025
Total Views: 1211

Friday, January 31, 2025
Aerial top view of a containership underway
Shipping

Container Spot Rates Slip as Lunar New Year Lull Kicks In

Despite the muted trading activity since China’s new year holiday began this week, spot rates on most major east-west ocean trades continued to show slight

January 31, 2025
Total Views: 434

Friday, January 24, 2025
containership
Shipping

Container Spot Rates Dive as Lunar New Year and Suez Resumption Rattle the Market

The downward spiral of container spot freight pricing accelerated this week, as China begins its lunar new year celebrations this weekend to see in the Year of

January 24, 2025
Total Views: 1261

Monday, December 9, 2024
cargo ships loading at port of oakland
Shipping

FMC Halts Premier Alliance Rollout Over Competitive Concerns

The US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has issued a request for more information from ONE, HMM and Yang Ming on their proposed Premier

December 9, 2024
Total Views: 821

Friday, December 6, 2024
Shipping

Spot Rate Rollercoaster: Carriers Bank on GRIs Ahead of Lunar New Year

Asia-Europe carriers saw their early December general rate increases (GRIs) stick this week, with spot rates into both North Europe and Mediterranean ports

December 6, 2024
Total Views: 1141

Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Shipping

Panama Land Bridge: Can It Solve the Canal’s Drought Woes?

Rising water levels have restored transits through the Panama Canal, but the canal authority is also looking into how a land bridge could move even more cargo

November 26, 2024
Total Views: 2027

Friday, November 22, 2024
Shipping

FAK Fantasy: Carriers Struggle to Keep Rates Afloat

Container spot rates were largely unchanged for a third consecutive week, as it became evident that a 15 November rate hike on Asia-Europe trades had failed to

November 22, 2024
Total Views: 1109

Thursday, November 14, 2024
Shipping

CMA CGM Bends to Customer Pressure, Re-Routes INDAMEX Service Back Around Cape

Pressure from customers has apparently caused French mainline operator CMA CGM to u-turn on plans to operate its INDAMEX (Indian Subcontinent-US East Coast)

November 14, 2024
Total Views: 869

Friday, November 8, 2024
Shipping

Asia-Europe Container Spot Rates Surge – What’s Fueling the Off-Season Spike?

By Gavin van Marle (The Loadstar) – Despite generally weak cargo demand, spot rates on the Asia-Europe trades continued to show gains this week, as

November 8, 2024
Total Views: 655

Friday, October 18, 2024
Shipping

No End in Sight: New Ships Won’t Stop Freight Rates From Climbing in 2025

By Charlie Bartlett (The Loadstar) – Some three million TEU of new tonnage arriving next year will most likely be “more than offset” by further

October 18, 2024
Total Views: 1918

Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Ports

Box Lines Declare Force Majeure as U.S. Dockworker Strike Enters Day 2

By Alex Lennane (The Loadstar) – Shipping lines are beginning to declare force majeure, as the US east and Gulf coast port strike enters its second

October 2, 2024
Total Views: 2258

Thursday, September 26, 2024
Ports

Scores of Ships Headed for US East Coast Face Delays as Strike Looms

By Gavin van Marle (The Loadstar) A prolonged strike on the US east and Gulf coasts could prove “toxic” to global container supply chains – and even if

September 26, 2024
Total Views: 1948

Thursday, September 19, 2024
Ports

Impending Port Strike: Carriers Announce Disruption Surcharges

By Gavin van Marle (The Loadstar) – As the possibility of strike action at ports on the US east and Gulf coasts draws nearer by the day, container

September 19, 2024
Total Views: 1312

Friday, September 13, 2024
Ports

Container Spot Rates Continue to Tumble as Peak Season Comes to Early End

By Gavin van Marle (The Loadstar) – Spot freight rates on every major container lane continued to tumble over the past week as demand remained flat,

September 13, 2024
Total Views: 3414

Friday, September 6, 2024
Shipping

Container Spot Rates Plummet as Asia-Europe Trades Witness Double-Digit Declines

By Gavin van Marle (The Loadstar) – The steady decline of container spot freight rates between Asia and Europe turned decidedly steeper this week, with

September 6, 2024
Total Views: 1894

Friday, August 30, 2024
Shipping

Ocean Carriers Blank Sailings Ahead of China’s Golden Week Holiday

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Fearing another container spot rate crash, ocean carriers have blanked a number of export sailings from Asia to Europe

August 30, 2024
Total Views: 1229

Friday, August 23, 2024
Ports

Transpacific Spot Rates Rise Amid Looming U.S. Port Strike Threat

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Transpacific container spot rates were in the ascendancy this week as industrial action storm clouds gathered over US

August 23, 2024
Total Views: 929