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, August 8, 2023
The Ever Max ready to transit the Panama Canal. Photo courtesy Panama Canal Authority
Shipping

Panama Canal Draught Restrictions Spark Liner Surcharges

By Ian Putzger, Americas correspondent (The Loadstar) – Evergreen’s latest addition to its neo-panamax fleet had to offload 1,400 containers to pass

August 8, 2023
Total Views: 13992

Monday, August 7, 2023
HMM Containership leaving port
Shipping

Five South Korean Companies Vie to Take Over Flagship Carrier HMM

By Martina Li in Taiwan (The Loadstar) – Five South Korean corporations have shown an interest in taking over flagship carrier HMM. State-controlled

August 7, 2023
Total Views: 2868

Thursday, August 3, 2023
Aerial top view of a containership at port. Stock Photo: Shutterstock/Avigator Fortuner
Shipping

Container Lessors Benefit from Rising Demand and Slow Steaming

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Container leasing companies reported a slowdown in the return of boxes by ocean carrier customers in the second

August 3, 2023
Total Views: 1461

Wednesday, August 2, 2023
The CMA CGM Marco Polo container ship passes under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, to enter New York Harbor. Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
Shipping

Transatlantic Carriers Change Course

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Transatlantic container rates from North Europe to the US east coast have fallen below pre-pandemic levels after ocean

August 2, 2023
Total Views: 3242

Friday, July 28, 2023
Trucks At Port Of LA
Shipping

FMC Improves Container Data-Sharing to Address Supply Chain Bottlenecks

By Alex Whiteman (The Loadstar) – The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) this week unveiled plans for a major shake-up in the collection and return

July 28, 2023
Total Views: 923

Friday, July 21, 2023
Aerial top view of a containership underway
Shipping

Container Spot Rates: Mixed Fortunes on Transpacific and Transatlantic Trade Lanes

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Container spot rates from Asia to the US spiked this week, while carriers managed to halt the decline in short-term

July 21, 2023
Total Views: 1110

Wednesday, July 19, 2023
The LNG-powered containership, the CMA CGM, on the river Elbe near the city of Hamburg, Germany, February 14, 2021. Photo: FrankHH / Shutterstock.com
Shipping

CMA CGM Sets Course to Overtake Maersk in Shipping Line Rankings

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – With its huge orderbook of 122 ships, for a capacity of 1.24m teu, CMA CGM is on course to overtake Maersk as the

July 19, 2023
Total Views: 3478

Friday, July 14, 2023
FILE PHOTO: Shipping containers are stacked at Gwangyang port in Gwangyang, South Korea, June 14, 2022. Yonhap via REUTERS
Shipping

Container Freight Rates Inch Upward, But Lingering Challenges Impede Full Recovery

By Charlie Bartlett (The Loadstar) – Global container freight rates are still – marginally – exceeding pre-pandemic levels, according to

July 14, 2023
Total Views: 1435

Wednesday, July 12, 2023
ZIM logo on a building
Shipping

ZIM Faces Bleak Outlook as Container Shipping Weakness Persists

By Alex Whiteman (The Loadstar) – Ongoing weakness in container shipping has forced Israel’s Zim to drastically re-evaluate its full-year performance,

July 12, 2023
Total Views: 2661

Friday, July 7, 2023
container ship at sea
Shipping

Ocean Carriers Run Out of Niche Trades

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Container spot rates on the transatlantic took a hammering this week, losing over 20% of their value, and the

July 7, 2023
Total Views: 2188

Monday, July 3, 2023
Maersk ship entering the Port of Rotterdam
Shipping

Maersk Unleashes Huge Asia-North Europe Rate Hike

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Maersk is attempting to undo weeks of heavy discounting on the Asia-North Europe tradelane with a substantial increase

July 3, 2023
Total Views: 4546

Friday, June 30, 2023
Stock image of an MSC containership
Shipping

MSC Lead Transpacific Capacity Exodus as ZIM Bucks the Trend

By Alex Lennane (The Loadstar) – Ocean carriers have removed almost a quarter of their capacity from the transpacific tradelane in the past year as

June 30, 2023
Total Views: 5500

Thursday, June 29, 2023
port of los angeles and long beach
Shipping

Containership Charter Market Loses Steam as Carriers Look to Off-Hire Ships

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – There are now clear signs that the weak demand for ocean freight is beginning to impact the hitherto insulated

June 29, 2023
Total Views: 2506

Friday, June 23, 2023
FILE PHOTO: Shipping containers are seen at the container terminal of the port of Oakland, California, U.S., October 28, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
Shipping

Liner Bear Market Looms as Rates Continue to Tumble

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Maritime analysts are bearish on the outlook for liner shipping, as inventory de-stocking progress in the US and Europe

June 23, 2023
Total Views: 1137

Wednesday, June 21, 2023
Aerial top view of a ship at sea
Shipping

Survival of the Fittest for Shortsea Shipping Market

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Shortsea shipping lines in Northern Europe are facing a fight for survival as demand weakens and rates plummet. As in

June 21, 2023
Total Views: 3109

Monday, June 19, 2023
msc containership
Shipping

MSC is Bleeding the Charter Market Dry

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – The containership charter market shows no sign of softening as it goes into the usually slack summer season, despite

June 19, 2023
Total Views: 8236

Friday, June 16, 2023
Rates Woes Continue for Carriers Amid Claims of Transatlantic Price-Dumping
Shipping

Rates Woes Continue for Carriers Amid Claims of Transatlantic Price-Dumping

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Asia-North European carriers are being obliged to discount rates at the time of year – the build-up to the peak

June 16, 2023
Total Views: 2048

Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Ismailia,,Egypt,-,November,5,,2017:,Large,Container,Vessel,Ship
Shipping

Top Ocean Carriers Set Course for More Profitable Routes

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – Ocean carriers constantly reassess network coverage to cope with the impact of demand fluctuations but, post-pandemic,

June 7, 2023
Total Views: 1705

Friday, June 2, 2023
Aerial top view of a containership underway
Shipping

Long-Term Container Freight Rates ‘Collapse’, Says Xeneta

By Charlie Bartlett (The Loadstar) – June is bearing few surprises for container shipping, with demand continuing its inexorable downward correction. In

June 2, 2023
Total Views: 4891

Friday, May 26, 2023
Aerial top view of a containership at port. Stock Photo: Shutterstock/Avigator Fortuner
Shipping

Peak Season Hope Fades as Container Freight Rates Slip Again

By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) – The prospect of a traditional peak season is slipping away with each week that passes and ocean carriers are as yet

May 26, 2023
Total Views: 3662