In the dock

Against the odds: US banana importer joins trucker’s FMC action against Hapag-Lloyd

In response to this week’s Loadstar story on South Korean antitrust regulators fining 23 container lines for price-fixing on the intra-Asia trades between 2003 and 2018, one source sent a WhatsApp message to our editorial team that said simply: “And so it begins…”
This is one of the several transport executives who have been engaged over the last few months as expert witnesses by law firms that are beginning to prepare …

The post Against the odds: US banana importer joins trucker’s FMC action...

https://theloadstar.com/against-the-odds-us-banana-importer-joins-truckers-fmc-action-against-hapag-lloyd/

How the ‘cocaine-collectors’ retrieve smuggled drugs in Rotterdam

Claims that the Dutch container gateway of Rotterdam has become a hub for European imports of cocaine and other illicit drugs will come as no surprise to anyone who works in the sector. But how it actually works in practice, with gangs of so-called collectors climbing over the port’s box terminals’ fences and breaking into containers holding contraband, is vividly described in this in-depth BBC report. It also details the …

The post How the ‘cocaine-collectors’ retrieve smuggled drugs in...

https://theloadstar.com/how-the-cocaine-collectors-retrieve-smuggled-drugs-in-rotterdam/

How to sue a carrier for delays, blanked sailings and D&D overcharges

If you are facing unprecedented delays in shipping and route cancellations that are compounded by the inability to get your containers out of the port, with huge charges for demurrage and detention adding insult to injury, you are not alone.
I have seen numerous articles talking about these issues, but none advising on practical steps to take. Here is that long overdue article.
Let’s take these issues one by one:
Delays
If delays …

The post How to sue a carrier for delays, blanked sailings and...

https://theloadstar.com/how-to-sue-a-carrier-for-delays-blanked-sailings-and-dd-overcharges/

In the dock: Echoes of the decade-old CMA CGM Libra grounding still resonate

“It is incredible to think that the momentary decision of a master to pass Xiamen channel buoy 14-1 to port, the circumstances that led up to that decision and consequences that followed, are still being debated some 10 ½ years later and yet, here we are, having waited with bated breath for the supreme court to hand down one of the industry’s most hotly anticipated judgments of recent times.”

So write Claire …

The post In the dock: Echoes of the decade-old CMA CGM Libra grounding still resonate...

https://theloadstar.com/in-the-dock-echoes-of-the-decade-old-cma-cgm-libra-grounding-still-resonate/

Against the odds: Up in (northern) lights – Part 2

From “Whatever (and whichever) canal floats your boat – Part 1” to my coverage today is a small, albeit meaningful, step.
Here it goes.
Russia’s northern trade route 
A brief recap, as I argued yesterday towards the end of my post:
“Russia has been touting its Northern Trade Route, an Arctic Ocean route to Asia, since the Ever Given issue.
Claiming to trim 4,000 nautical miles and 15 days off the southern alternative via the …

The post Against the odds: Up in (northern) lights – Part 2 appeared...

https://theloadstar.com/against-the-odds-up-in-northern-lights-part-2/

Against the odds: Whatever (and whichever canal) floats your boat – Part 1 

I may have been a little salty towards Maersk’s Mr. Skou in my last spoiler alert column after he stated something supply chain practitioners and logisticians worth their pay packet – which in most instances is much smaller than his – would have been contemplating several moons ago. 
I just expected a leader of one of the world’s largest shipping lines to offer up something more visionary or insightful. For example, …

The post Against the odds: Whatever (and whichever canal) floats your boat –...

https://theloadstar.com/against-the-odds-whatever-and-whichever-canal-floats-your-boat-part-1/

Anger as SCA arrests Ever Given and submits $916m compensation claim

The Suez Canal Authority yesterday formally arrested the Ever Given.
An Egyptian judge granted permission for the SCA to seize the vessel after it lodged a $916m compensation claim against its Japanese vessel owner, Shoe Kisen.
The SCA says it intends to maintain the vessel’s arrest until the claim is paid, a position that has caused fury among the ship’s insurers and ship managers, and led charterer Evergreen to investigate whether it could …

The post Anger as SCA arrests Ever Given and submits...

https://theloadstar.com/anger-as-sca-arrests-ever-given-and-submits-916m-compensation-claim/

UK government in legal tug of war over Northern Ireland as EU launches court action

Downing Street is embroiled in a legal tug of war, potentially threatening the stability of Northern Ireland and further eroding confidence in post-Brexit UK trade.
As the EU began legal proceedings over the UK’s decision to extend grace periods on products moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, said to be an infringement of the Northern Ireland Protocol, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) has launched a judicial review of the protocol …

The post UK government in legal tug of war over...

https://theloadstar.com/uk-government-in-legal-tug-of-war-over-northern-ireland-as-eu-launches-court-action/

Congress pushes FMC to act on carriers opting for empty boxes vs exports

Political pressure is mounting on US authorities to crack down on shipping lines that refuse to carry American exports in preference to loading empty containers.
Yesterday, 111 members of Congress jointly signed a letter calling for the FMC to hold carriers to account.
They said: “Over the past year, American producers, exporters and entire economic sectors have grappled with widespread delays, bottlenecks and increasing fees at our ports.
“These challenges are exacerbated by …

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https://theloadstar.com/congress-pushes-fmc-to-act-on-carriers-opting-for-empty-boxes-vs-exports/

PPE the new ‘hot’ freight and warehouse target for organised crime

The pandemic continues to affect every part of the supply chain, and brings heightened risk of crime, according to a new report by the TT Club and BSI on cargo crime trends last year.
While cargo theft from freight vehicles in transit remained the most dominant threat, there was also a significant increase in theft from facilities such as warehouses as cargo backlogs built up around the world.
In addition, criminals found a …

The post PPE the new ‘hot’ freight and warehouse target for organised...

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