U.S. - China trade Archives - Maritime Shipping News

Exporters raise concerns about ocean carrier market power

1 March 2023

WASHINGTON — U.S. exporters called on Congress to introduce more economic reforms in ocean transportation and increase the pressure on carriers that abuse their market power.

Representing those exporters in front of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee on Tuesday, Agriculture Transportation Coalition Executive Director Peter Friedmann acknowledged cargo volume surges and supply chain disruptions have dissipated and that there’s currently “plenty of competition” among container ship operators for...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/exporters-raise-concerns-about-ocean-carrier-market-power

FreightWaves SONAR data revealed global recession months before FedEx’s earnings

22 September 2022

A container ship stacked with containers

In a note last Friday, September 16, J.P. Morgan reminded us that back in June it warned about a concerning drop in container volume out of China, based on FreightWaves SONAR Container Atlas data.

Part of the J.P. Morgan note.

The firm titled its June 3 report “Watching the China Freight Wave,” which covered the slowdown in container markets and forewarned about a slowing U.S. domestic freight market.

Using the same data, on June 7, FreightWaves wrote an article titled “U.S. import demand is...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freightwaves-sonar-data-revealed-global-recession-months-before-fedexs-earnings

Xi’s lockdowns will pull the rug out from under U.S. truckers this summer

25 April 2022

The Port of Shanghai. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Whenever the trucking market slows, truck drivers look for someone to blame. Normally, a slowdown is just a function of supply and demand. The market has too much dispatchable capacity compared to the total number of loads on any given day.

This summer, the trucking market could have one of its steepest declines in recent years and there is an entity that deserves much of the blame – the Chinese Communist Party and its draconian and inhumane lockdowns.

A Chinese containership. (Photo: ship-technology.com)

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/xis-lockdowns-will-pull-the-rug-out-from-under-us-truckers-this-summer

Supply chain pain may lurk in container crane bill

31 January 2022

Legislation proposing strict new prohibitions on the purchase and operation of the world’s most popular container cranes could cause severe disruptions at U.S. ports, according to a maritime cybersecurity expert.

The Port Crane Security and Inspection Act of 2022, introduced last week by Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., bans port cranes sold under contracts with countries considered a U.S. foreign adversary — which includes China, the world’s largest manufacturer of ship-to-shore gantry cranes — from...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/supply-chain-pain-may-lurk-in-container-crane-bill

Why are supply chains so messed up?

25 September 2021

This is the question that I am asked on a daily basis. The issue is very complex, so I usually quip with a surprising response, “They’ve always had issues, but no one was really paying attention.” Turns out, unless the person works in freight, they are very unsatisfied with this answer. After all, freight and products just seemed to automatically show up before, but that is no longer the case.

Craig Fuller, FreightWaves founder and CEO, explains a SONAR feature.

Anyone that has been around...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/why-are-supply-chains-so-messed-up

News alert: Regulators warn container lines to stop refusing US exports

17 December 2020

Growing allegations of ocean carriers abandoning U.S. exporters by not providing empty containers for shipments to Asia have led to heightened scrutiny for potential Shipping Act violations.

In a joint letter sent on Wednesday to the World Shipping Council (WSC) from the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), FMC commissioners Carl Bentzel and Daniel Maffei said that because of the current surge in containerized imports at U.S. ports, it is “imperative” that there be balance between carriers’ import...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/news-alert-regulators-warn-container-lines-to-stop-refusing-us-exports

Commentary: Keeping Alaska’s seafood supply chain intact

11 August 2020

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.

Why is gasoline more expensive in oil-rich Alaska than in most of the Lower 48? Because Alaska ships its crude oil out-of-state without refining it. Other states have large refineries possessing economies of scale that Alaska cannot match. A similar tale applies to Alaska seafood. Why does frozen Alaska salmon, destined for retail markets in the Lower 48,...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/commentary-keeping-alaskas-seafood-supply-chain-intact

COVID-19 makes lasting impact on sourcing and consumption patterns

6 June 2020

As COVID-19’s death rate in the U.S. continues to decline gradually, businesses are reopening their doors as states slowly start to relax their lockdowns. But with the threat of the pandemic still looming ominously, some companies are seeking to reshape and insulate their core processes. These efforts will likely be targeted at making sure another breakout would not pose an immediate threat to companies’ sourcing, manufacturing processes and customer base.

“The issue with COVID-19 is less...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/covid-19-makes-lasting-impact-on-sourcing-and-consumption-patterns

Today’s Pickup: Saudi Arabia and Russia push for extending oil output cuts

4 June 2020

Saudi Arabia and Russia push for extending oil output cuts (Photo: Shutterstock)

Good day,

OPEC and non-OPEC countries are looking to convene and decide the extension of their oil output cuts, which will help strengthen oil prices that have been climbing steadily since their April lows. Major oil powers Saudi Arabia and Russia are reportedly supporting a one-month extension of the current level of output cuts.

Oil prices have shown a sustained recovery over the last few weeks, after the industry saw WTI oil futures crash below zero, and Brent crude futures nearly touch their...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/todays-pickup-saudi-arabia-and-russia-push-for-extending-oil-output-cuts

Commentary: Can managed trade really work?

3 June 2020

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.

Managed trade, ironically, is hard to manage. This is especially true when it is between the world’s two largest economies trying to settle their trade and political disputes. The U.S.-China trade war entered a détente of sorts with the “Phase 1” trade deal signed on January 15, 2020. Between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021, China is required to import more...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/commentary-can-managed-trade-really-work

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