CMA CGM has launched a new Pakistan Khalifa Express (PIKEX) service calling at Jebel Ali, Abu Dhabi, Sohar, Karachi, Jebel Ali from 11 April 2025. The service turns in 10 days on a rolling schedule using the geared 2,564 teu CMA CGM ZANZIBAR.
Vasi Shipping has initiated bankruptcy proceedings on 10 April 2025 with outstanding debt of $19m owed to creditors. The company was established in Singapore in January 2012 and operated primarily in the Southeast Asia, Bay of Bengal, India subcontinent, Red Sea and Middle East Gulf routes. Vasi has ceased to operate any ships since early March 2025. It operated 3 owned ships previously - the 1,743 teu VASI SUN (built 1990, acquired in Nov 2015 and scrapped in Dec 2018), the 1,730 teu VASI STAR
HMM, ONE and Yang Ming have confirmed the suspension of the Premier Alliance PN4 service launch that was originally scheduled to commence in May 2025. The PN4 was supposed to call at Ningbo, Shanghai, Vancouver, Tacoma, Ningbo and the coverage of the affected ports will remain on the enhanced PN3 service that calls at Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan, Vancouver, Tacoma, Busan, Qingdao.
Following a strong start in the first 2 months of the year, container cargo demand has fallen back in March with the volume rebound after the Chinese New Year failing to materialise. Current projections suggest full year container volumes will drop by 1.1% in 2025, as the muted cargo demand is expected to last through the summer peak season. The demand outlook for the rest of this year remains uncertain, with the threat of additional US tariffs that will be unveiled on 2 April expected to furth
The US tariffs announced on 2 April will have a larger impact on container markets, relative to other shipping segments, due to the heavier import duties on China and Vietnam which together account for 51% of total US container imports in 2024. The trade-weighted tariff rate is more than 36% based on Linerlytica’s calculations derived from each country’s share of total US container imports. The high import duties on other Southeast Asia and South Asia countries leaves little room to substitute c
Container freight futures tumbled on 7 April as concerns over a potential global recession following Trump’s tariff announcement. Apart from the short dated EC2504, all the other EC contracts have declined by 10-15% since the tariffs were announced on 2 April. However, the sell-off was less dramatic than the 20% correction in liner equities over the same period. Trading volume surged to 120,000 lots on 7 April on heavy trading but open interests dropped by just 3% today, as the futures largely a
The 1st April Asia-Europe rate hike flopped, with carriers failing to push through their announced rate increases with cargo demand showing no signs of strength. The SCFIS registered its 4th consecutive weekly decline with carriers more willing to slash rates than to cut capacity despite the deteriorating market conditions. Carriers are hoping that worsening port congestion at both Chinese and European & Mediterranean main ports could provide support for another attempt to hike rates, while car
Arkas Line will launch a new West Africa Service (WAS) connecting Tangier Med, Casablanca, Dakar, Tincan Island, Lagos, Tema, Abidjan, Nouakchott, Tangier Med from 22 April 2025. The WAS will turn in 35 days and will initially deploy 4 ships of 1,604 teu (MARIO A, CRISTINA A, JEAN PIERRE A, DIANE A) with 1 blank sailing in each 5 week cycle.
Register Free Trial Blanket US imports tariffs announced last week have resulted in significant cargo booking cancellations in Asia, thwarting carriers’ efforts to raise transpacific freight rates and placed the May contract negotiations in limbo. The effective US tariff rate, on a container volume weighted basis, will rise substantially to 36% setting the stage for a full blown trade war with our global container demand growth projections already cut to -1.1% in 2025. EC freight futures tumbl
Freight futures opened lower following the announcement of new tariffs by President Trump, which have raised the cumulative tariff on Chinese imports to 54% since the start of his presidency. However, futures recovered throughout the day, ending broadly unchanged as short sellers closed their positions ahead of the long weekend holiday in China. The main contract, EC2506, gained 1.29% for the day. Linerlytica's online quotation system also showed marginal improvements over the past two days, al