Ports

For March, the most recent month for which data is available, Port Tracker reported that import volume, for the ports covered in the report, came in at 1.93 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), down 1.4% compared to February and up 18.7% annually, a period when Asian export activity was slow on the heels of Lunar New Year shutdowns, it noted.   

It will take just over four years and up to $1.9 billion to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge after it was hit by a cargo ship and fell into the Patapsco River, according to an estimate by the Maryland Department of Transportation. The state plans to build a new span by the fall of 2028, spokesman David Broughton said. He also said it will likely cost anywhere from $1.7 billion-to-$1.9 billion to rebuild the span after the container ship Dali lost power...

The Fort McHenry Limited Access Channel provides a way for commercial ships that have been stranded to finally exit

Turns out Baltimore needs the supply chain more than the supply chain needs Baltimore. In the wake of the March 26 horrific bridge collapse that closed the Port of Baltimore to maritime vessels, shutting down one of the busiest ports in America has meant … not that much to maritime shippers. They just moved freight to New York, Newport News, Va., or Savannah, Ga.

One week after the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore, the Maryland Port Authority (MPA) said it is making progress towards resuming cargo flows.

The most severe U.S. bridge collision since the Tampa Skyway Bridge disaster in 1980 happened at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday near Baltimore where a 32,000-ton cargo ship Dali rammed a bridge over the Patapsco River in Baltimore, causing it to collapse. The collapse of the 47-year-old, 1.6-mile Francis Scott Key Bridge has brought ship traffic at the Port of Baltimore, an important East Coast trade hub, to a halt. The port said maritime traffic is suspended “until further notice.”

While 2023 marked the overdue conclusion of a new West Coast port labor agreement between the International Longshore Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association, an East Coast labor agreement awaits to be completed in 2024, by the end of September, between the International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX).

While managing significant volume swings driven by the pandemic and ongoing geopolitical issues, U.S. seaports continue to press forward with efforts to improve infrastructure and build in efficiencies an unwavering attitude that bodes well for the future.

From December to January, Descartes reported that U.S.-bound container import volumes rose 7.9%, to 2,273,125 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units). And on an annual basis, it found that January volumes were up 9.9%, while posting a 9.6% increase compared to pre-pandemic 2019’s 2,036,393 TEU tally. What’s more, the report noted that the 7.9% sequential increase, from December to January, marked its biggest gain for that period over the last seven years.

Hapag-Lloyd said that the objective of this new offering will be to deliver a flexible and interconnected ocean network with industry-leading reliability. And Maersk explained that the Gemini Cooperation will provide unprecedented reliability, speed-to-market, and geographical reach, as well as continuing to support decarbonization and the company’s future intention to be a net-zero company.

Major U.S. container ports are entering a period of historically low cargo volumes as the holiday season winds down. However, attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea and continued delays at the Panama Canal may shake up this year’s usual winter lull.

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced they are partnering up to launch a survey of port authorities and marine terminal operators, with a focus on identifying the national port cargo handling needs over the next five-to-ten years

In this podcast, Logistics Management and Peerless Media Supply Chain Group News Editor Jeff Berman interviews Jon Monroe, president and founder of Jon Monroe Consulting.

In this podcast, Logistics Management and Peerless Media Supply Chain Group News Editor Jeff Berman interviews Jon Monroe, president and founder of Jon Monroe Consulting.

From September to October, Descartes reported that U.S.-bound container import volumes increased 4.7%, coming in at 2,307,918 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), which it said was inconsistent with the Peak Season decline that traditionally starts in the August timeframe, while rising 3.9% annually.