Freight Logistics

A source familiar with the preparations told us on Thursday that the Panama Canal is soon to begin consulting with companies in order to launch a competitive bid in the first quarter next year for the construction and operation of two new ports within its zone. The ports are part a larger expansion plan organized by the administration of the canal. The plan aims to improve services for cargo handling including storage, trans shipment and gas transportation and ensure fresh water is available to operations. At a Thursday conference, Ricaurte Vaquez, the head of waterway, said that there was a...

The top executive of the busiest U.S. port said that ocean imports may have peaked during July, as retailers raced to import goods from China to avoid tariffs. Containerized imports into the Port of Los Angeles - the main entry point for many U.S. imports - jumped by 8% in July to 544,000 20 foot equivalent units (TEUs). Gene Seroka said that importers were rushing to get cargo in before possible tariff increases later this month or beyond. Zachary Rogers is the lead author of the Logistics Managers' Index. This index serves as an early indicator of economic activity in...

Yemen's Houthis announced on Sunday that they will target all ships of companies doing business in Israeli ports, irrespective of nationality, as part what they call the fourth phase of military operations against Israel. The Houthis military spokesperson issued a warning via televised message that companies would be attacked for ignoring their warnings regardless of where they were headed. He added that "the Yemeni Armed forces call on all nations, if they wish to avoid this escalation to pressurize the enemy to stop its aggression and to lift the Gaza Strip blockade." The Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, have...

Shiptracking data from LSEG/Kpler revealed that a liquefied gas (LNG), vessel subject to U.S. sanction, docked this week at Russia's Arctic LNG 2 facility, marking the second vessel sanctioned in this year to visit the plant. It could be a sign that Arctic LNG 2 has resumed loading, which is also under the same Western sanctions due to Russia's conflict in Ukraine. Kpler data shows that the tanker Voskhod unloaded itself as it approached the Arctic LNG 2 facility on Wednesday. Arctic LNG 2's first vessel of the year was the Iris. It loaded a cargo on the 26th of...

FedEx shares dropped on Wednesday, after the logistics giant predicted a current-quarter loss below expectations. This was due to U.S. Tariffs and President Donald Trump’s decision to remove duty-free status for certain consumer shipments coming from China. In premarket trading, shares of FedEx fell 6% while UPS dropped 1%. DHL, a German competitor, also fell by nearly 2%. The global demand environment is volatile, said CEO Raj Subramaniam, during an earnings webcast. However, the company did not provide revenue and earnings forecasts for the full year, citing uncertainties regarding U.S. Trade Policies. FedEx and UPS are seen as economic bellwethers...

FedEx shares fell nearly 6% on Wednesday in premarket trade after the logistics giant warned of a challenging year and predicted earnings for the current quarter below expectations. This is due to the pressures from U.S. Tariffs, which are causing global demand to be volatile. The global demand environment is volatile, said CEO Raj Subramaniam, during an earnings webcast. However, the company did not provide revenue and earnings forecasts for the full year, citing uncertainties regarding U.S. Trade Policies, especially those relating to China. In April, the Trump administration imposed tariffs of 145% on China, which intensified the global trade...

Delhivery, an Indian courier firm that delivers parcels in short distances, launched their service at two locations in India on Friday. This is a move to increase competition in the market which has been dominated by Uber and Kedaara Capital's Porter. Following the success of Quick-Commerce delivery services where everything from mobile phones to milk is delivered in 10 minutes, near-distance delivery has become increasingly popular. Uber, Swiggy's ride-hailing app Rapido and Porter, among others, are currently the firms that transport parcels between areas of a city. Delhivery currently offers its service only in the capital and in the southern...

People familiar with the situation said that private equity firms such as Blackstone and Apollo Global Management are interested in buying U.S. trucker Forward Air. Signing confidentiality agreements allowed them to receive information and review documents to help shape a possible bid. Platinum Equity and Clearlake Capital can also review materials after signing agreements, according to the sources. Sources said that the initial takeover bids will be submitted in the first week of the month of July. However, they noted that there was no guarantee four buyout firms would make offers. It is possible that other bidders will emerge. Sources...

The partnership between shipping giant CMA CGM, and the tech startup Mistral AI is expected to yield rapid productivity gains. It was announced on Sunday. The partnership will see CMA CGM spend 500 million euros (550 million dollars) on AI over the next five years, and will be focused on improving customer service and logistics in shipping as well as fact-checking for its French media outlets including BFM TV. Rodolphe Saade, CMA CGM Chairman and CEO, declined to provide financial targets on return on investment in a joint interview conducted with Arthur Mensch's cofounder and CEO of Mistral. Saade, however,...

Shipping data shows that in the first few months of this year, more cars were shipped to the United States from Europe, China, Japan, and Korea than in the previous year. This is a sign that companies are loading up their shipments in advance of tariffs. According to Esgian, a data analytics company that monitors shipping routes worldwide, 33 roll on/roll off ships, designed for wheeled freight and mainly carrying new cars, left Europe in February of this year. This is up from 28 in the same month in 2024. Stian Omli said that these ships would have been able...

A top Japanese shipping executive told reporters on Monday that U.S. allies Japan, South Korea and Canada would have a difficult time accelerating shipbuilding in order to meet the U.S.'s demand for alternative ships under Donald Trump's plans to impose port charges on China-linked vessels. The Trump administration has drafted an executive order to revitalize domestic shipbuilding, and weaken China’s grip on this industry. Takaya Soga is the CEO of Nippon Yusen, Japan's biggest shipping line. He said that Japanese shipbuilding has reached near capacity and there will be little room for expansion before 2028. Shipbuilders in South Korea as...

The Panamanian President, Jose Raul Mulino, said that the reports that the U.S. Military is looking at options to ensure full U.S. Access to the Panama Canal are not credible because they came from anonymous sources. He said at a press briefing that if no one signed off on such a claim, he didn't give it any weight. Last week, two anonymous U.S. government officials said that the Pentagon was instructed to assess options in light of President Donald Trump's repeated claims he wanted to "take back", the important global shipping route through Panama. Trump claimed that the tolls on...

The manager of the vessel in Greece that sank earlier this month after it was attacked by Houthi militants near Yemen expressed his relief after watching a video which showed 11 crew members still alive. The Houthis, allied with Iran, released the six-minute video on Monday. They claimed to have rescued seafarers aboard the Eternity C cargo vessel flying the Liberian flag. The Athens based ship management company issued a statement saying that efforts are being made to ensure "safe and rapid return of the sailors to their families". The company said that it was "deeply relieved" to see the...

Houthis, who are Iran-aligned and live in Yemen, said on Monday that they had rescued ten seafarers off the Greek cargo ship EternityC which they had attacked and sunk earlier this month in the Red Sea. Eternity C, flying the Liberian flag, was the second vessel to sink in Yemen this month following repeated attacks from Houthi militants using sea drones and rocket propelled grenades. The Magic Seas was another Greek-operated ship that had been lost days before. The Houthis have been resuming their attacks on ships, having hit over 100 vessels between November 2023 to December 2024 as a...

The operator of the Greek bulk carrier said that the 19-member crew, which was severely damaged by repeated attacks in the Red Sea, likely carried out by Houthi militants are safe. They will arrive at Djibouti on Monday evening. Michael Bodouroglou said that the fate of the Liberian Magic Seas, which is flying the Liberian flag, was uncertain. The vessel could sink, according to Bodouroglou. The first incident of this kind to be reported since mid-April was Sunday's attack off the southwest coast Yemen. The Magic Seas was targeted by gunfire, rocket-propelled missiles, and skiffs for more than four hour....

TMS Tankers, the Greek operator of the tanker, said that an external explosive device was most likely responsible for the explosion which damaged the Greek oil tanker Vilamoura last week as it was sailing near the coast of Libya. This conclusion is based on a preliminary investigation. On June 27, the Marshall Islands flagged tanker Vilamoura was leaving the Libyan port Zuetina to head to Gibraltar, with around 1 million barrels oil. An explosion occurred in the engine room. TMS Tankers stated that preliminary investigation findings indicate clearly that the explosion and subsequent fracture of side shell plating as well...

An attack on a ship in the Red Sea, off the coast of Yemen's southwest coast, was launched by eight small boats using gunfire and grenades. A British maritime agency and a security firm confirmed the incident. The situation continues, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations and British maritime security company Ambrey. The attack was not immediately attributed to anyone. This is the first report on the region by the agencies since the middle of April. The tensions in the Middle East are still high due to the conflict in Gaza, the 12-day Israel/Iran war that lasted for...

Ambrey, a British maritime security company, reported on Tuesday the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces had launched a drone strike on Port Sudan facilities. The attack targeted the container terminal escalating the two-year conflict. Ambrey claimed to have obtained video footage of damage done to the terminal, as well as the civilian infrastructure. The city is now reported to be without electricity. Ambrey reported significant GPS disruptions, but no damage was reported to merchant vessels. Witnesses reported that explosions and fires erupted in Port Sudan, Sudan's wartime capital and main port city, on Tuesday. This was part of an ongoing drone...

State media reported that a large explosion struck Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Iranian city Bandar Abbas, causing at least 47 injuries. The explosion occurred just as Iran was about to begin a third round nuclear talks with United States in Oman. However, the cause of this explosion wasn't immediately known. The explosion of containers in the Shahid Rajaee Port wharf caused this incident. "We are currently evacuating the injured and transferring them to medical centers," said a local crisis-management official on state television. Initial estimates by Fars News Agency indicate that 47 people have been injured. The semi-official Tasnim...

The Santos Port Authority in Brazil, which manages the largest southern hemisphere port, has said that the port's draft will be deepened in order to attract larger ships in coming years. Beto Mendes (director of port operations) said that the goal is to increase the draft from 16 to 17 meters by 2031. Attracting larger ships would allow Brazil's commercial ties to be strengthened with partners like China, who is currently in a trade conflict with the United States. Mendes stated during a presentation that "we need to be ready." Santos will see an increase in shipping volumes as a...

DP World, a Dubai owned ports and logistics firm, reported a 28 percent fall in its annual profit on Friday, partly because of higher finance costs. It also highlighted global trade uncertainty and geopolitical risk as clouding the outlook. DP World announced that the profit attributable by owners after accounting for items separately dropped from $820 to $591 millions a year ago. In a statement, Chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem stated that "while the year started on a good note, global trade is still in flux because of ongoing geopolitical issues." DP World's revenue rose by 9.7%, to...

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported on Friday that vessels in the northern Gulf received multiple VHF challenges, including requests to change course. They could be part an Iranian military exercise. The UKMTO which monitors maritime security in the area has warned seafarers to be aware that similar VHF hailing may occur during an exercise of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps near Iranian waters. The semi-official Fars News Agency reported that naval units of the Revolutionary Guards conducted operations in the Gulf Strait of Hormuz Friday as part of an exercise called Great Prophet 19. The UKMTO had earlier...

Airstrikes targeted the Hezyaz power station in Sanaa, Al . Masirah TV, the primary television news outlet run by the Houthis. who control northern Yemen including the capital reported on. Friday. Earlier, British security company Ambrey stated it had actually received. reports of continuous airstrikes throughout Houthi-controlled locations of. Yemen consisting of the port of Ras Issa, Yemen's primary oil export. terminal. The Houthis have repeatedly fired drones and rockets. towards Israel and introduced attacks on worldwide shipping in. waters near Yemen given that November 2023, in assistance of the. Palestinians over Israel's war with Hamas. Israel has actually responded...

Saudi shipping company Bahri said on Tuesday its tanker Amjad was not targeted in a. Red Sea attack, which it had been spared any damage from the. event that struck another tanker that was cruising nearby. The U.S. Central Command stated Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi. rebels assaulted 2 crude oil tankers - the Saudi-flagged Amjad. and the Panama-flagged Blue Lagoon I - in the Red Sea on Monday. with two ballistic rockets and a one-way attack uncrewed aerial. system, hitting both vessels. We unquestionably affirm that AMJAD was not targeted and. continual no injuries or damage. The vessel stays fully. functional...