The Loadstar

By Gavin van Marle (The Loadstar) – After eight consecutive weeks of declining spot freight rates on the headhaul legs between China and the US, the

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Container spot rates from Asia to North Europe slumped below $700 per teu this week, losing a further 3.9% in

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Owners of smaller containerships, with limited exposure to the volatile deepsea east-west trades, are enjoying increases

By Gavin van Marle (The Loadstar) – Predictions that the current crop of disruptive digital start-ups will revolutionize container shipping has been

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – THE Alliance could find itself on the wrong side of a $500 per teu cost differential on the key Asia-North Europe

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Hapag-Lloyd has taken delivery of the last of 17 ULCVs ordered by UASC in 2013 as “some of the greenest and largest

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Recent forecasts from ocean carriers that a supply-demand equilibrium will be reached next year are “optimistic”,

By Gavin van Marle (The Loadstar) The US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) yesterday approved THE Alliance’s plan for a $50m contingency fund in case one of

By Alexander Whiteman (The Loadstar) – In response to the growing threat of cybercrime to the shipping sector, the UK government has launched a new code

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – With the first anniversary of the Hanjin Shipping bankruptcy just passed, there are growing fears that ocean carriers

By Alexander Whiteman (The Loadstar) – European shippers are calling for “solutions not fights” to the continuing congestion at Antwerp and

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – MSC is reportedly finalising an order for 11 22,000 teu ships, joining CMA CGM in reactivating the orderbook for

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – At least two Asia and Europe loops will need to be closed in the fourth quarter of the year, or sailings blanked, to

By Sam Whelan (The Loadstar) – Blockchain initiative 300cubits has created a new type of cryptocurrency to solve liner shipping’s US$23bn

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Another ultra-large container vessel has run aground in North Europe, again raising questions about the ability of

By Sam Whelan, Asia Correspondent (The Loadstar) – The Hong Kong Competition Commission has issued a five-year block exemption order for liner shipping

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) Yesterday’s partnership agreement between 14 South Korean shipping lines falls far short of the consolidation needed to bring

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – OOCL was too small to compete with mega-carriers and needed access to a large capital base to succeed, its chairman said

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – CMA CGM’s potential order of up to nine 22,000 teu ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) is sending a message to

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – With CMA CGM reportedly ready to sign a letter-of-intent for nine ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) of 22,000 teu,