#Maritime

Long Beach sees record TEUs on trade war effect

The Port of Long Beach, California, marked its strongest April on record, handling 867,493 twenty-foot equivalent units, a 15.6% increase compared to the same month a year ago.

Volumes surpassed the previous record set in April 2022 by 5.7% at the hub. Imports rose significantly to 419,828 TEUs, representing a 15.1% increase y/y, while exports declined by 4.5% to 93,842 TEUs.

Empty containers saw the most dramatic change, jumping 23% to 353,824 TEUs, as demand for boxes moving out of Chinese...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/long-beach-sees-record-teus-on-trade-war-effect

State of Freight takeaways: Freight crash may turn into sudden revival

What a difference a month makes. 

Four weeks after the April State of Freight webinar, when a raging trade war looked to wreak havoc on freight markets, the May edition of the monthly series confronted conditions that were getting at least a temporary reprieve because of the 90-day truce agreed upon by China and the United States.

The first signs of change are indications that freight movement from China to the U.S., pushed down sharply by the Trump administration’s 145% tariffs, is starting to...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/state-of-freight-takeaways-freight-crash-may-turn-into-sudden-revival

Hapag-Lloyd expects swift China ramp-up after bookings jump 50%

Hapag-Lloyd saw container bookings from China to the United States jump by 50% following the break in the tariff battle between the trading partners. 

In comments during an earnings call, Chief Executive Rolf Habben Jansen explained that while recent bookings were down 20%-30%, there has been “a surge of over 50% in recent days,” though he noted the difficulty in predicting exact growth patterns.

“We expect capacity to return fairly swiftly. We have deployed smaller ships instead of doing blanks...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/hapag-lloyd-expects-swift-china-ramp-up-after-bookings-jump-50

258: International Day for Women in Maritime 2025! 

Happy International Day for Women in Maritime 2025!

Lena is at the IMO to celebrate the International Day for Women in Maritime and attend the IMO Gender Equality Award Ceremony.

The International Day for Women in Maritime has been celebrated globally on May 18th every year since 2019. This year, the International Maritime Organisation is conducting a Symposium on the theme An Ocean of Opportunities for Women. 

Of course, the highlight of the day will be the IMO Gender Equality Award, which this...

https://shippingpodcast.com/258-international-day-for-women-in-maritime-2025/

Tariff two-step: After pause, China-US container bookings soar 377%

And just like that, the United States is back in the China import business.

Demand soared as shippers rushed to book space on container vessels headed to the U.S., just one day after the trade partners agreed to pause reciprocal tariffs that had reduced by a third volumes on the eastbound trans-Pacific.

Some of the first hard data to come out of the tariff timeout showed just how much inventory was sitting in warehouses, factories and ports waiting for a resolution to what had become a global...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/tariff-two-step-after-pause-china-us-container-bookings-soar-377

Maersk looks to fill up container ships in a flash (sale)

Even as the United States and China called timeout on their tariff war, Maersk, the world’s second-largest container line, wants shippers to get back in the game.

The Denmark-based carrier (MAERSK-B.CO) is offering a flash sale with deep discounts on dozens of inland trade corridors in the United States and Canada through Maersk Spot, the Danish carrier’s on-demand digital booking service aimed at small and medium-size shippers.

The promotional pricing, announced in an email to customers early...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/maersk-looks-to-fill-up-container-ships-in-a-flash-sale

Pause and effect: Container rates await new demand

While the United States and China exhale after the trading titans agreed to a 90-day pause in tariffs, it’s not yet clear to what degree demand may rematerialize on the eastbound trans-Pacific, and how that could weigh on ocean container rates.  

The pause, which takes effect Wednesday, will see the U.S. knock down its reciprocal tariffs from 125% to 10% and, when combined with 20% tariff hikes aimed at blunting fentanyl from China, establish a new 30% baseline tariff on all Chinese imports....

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/pause-and-effect-container-rates-await-new-demand

Ocean lines welcome tariff pause, but is the supply chain ready?

Ocean container lines say they are ready to pivot back to normalized trans-Pacific operations following the 90-day pause in the tariff war between the United States and China.

It’s likely there will be a surge in demand for eastbound vessel capacity on the part of cargo owners, but the outlook is rife with uncertainty.

“We welcome the agreement between the U.S. and China — which sends an important positive signal on the importance and future of global trade,” said a spokesman for German carrier...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/ocean-lines-welcome-tariff-pause-but-is-the-supply-chain-ready

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