Ports/Logistics

Israeli ports have come under the spotlight following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war over the weekend. The 2 main Israeli ports of Ashdod and Haifa that handle over 3.1m teu of container cargo annually have continued cargo operations through the weekend despite the military operations at Gaza. The situation remains fluid after Israel formally declared war for the first time since 1973 but the impact on the container shipping market is limited for now. So far no major congestion hotspots

Container volume data for August is still not available, with official Chinese port data delayed yet again. The data from the Ministry of Transport has been delayed by up to 2 weeks since August 2022 with no explanation provided for the late release. The official Chinese port volumes that have been published so far shows a significant divergence in container volume growth at Chinese ports compared to the rest of the world since August 2022. Average volume growth in the last 12 months reached 3.

Congestion at Asia ports have cleared gradually after heavy rain in early August from typhoon Doksoru and Khanun caused flooding across multiple North Asian regions. Southern California ports were also hit by Hurricane Hilary over the weekend, but port operations were not materially impacted with both the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach to re-open on 21 August after the partial shutdown the day before. There were no containerships waiting at the San Pedro Bay anchorage, and no buildup in po

Hapag-Lloyd has completed the acquisition of SAAM's port and logistics operations for a total price of $995m on 1 August 2023 after securing relevant regulatory approvals. The deal was first announced on 4 October 2022 with a binding agreement signed on 6 October 2022. The transaction includes interests in 1o terminals in Iquique, Antofagasta, San Antonio, San Vicente and Corral (Chile), Port Everglades (United States / Florida), Mazatlán (Mexico), Buenavista (Colombia), Guayaquil (Ecuador) and

Total container volumes handled at Russian ports rebounded sharply in the 2nd quarter of 2023 with a 33% yoy gain despite the ongoing sanctions against Russia. Far East gateway volumes through Vladivostok, Vostochny and Nakhodka grew by 39%, while volumes handled at the Black Sea gateway of Novorossiysk increased by 40%. Although the Baltic gateways of St Petersburg, Ust-Luga and Kaliningrad rebounded strongly by 25% compared to a year ago, total Baltic volumes remain at less than half of their

US West Coast ports are set to gradually recover part of the share that they have lost to their East Coast counterparts, with the latest data for May showing their strongest performance since 2021. The West Coast share rose to 54% after dropping to 47% last year, and the resolution off the ILWU contracts in both the US and Canada will pave the way for further normalization.

Shanghai port recorded a 2023 high in June, with container throughput reaching 4.15m teu with volumes following a more normal seasonal pattern after the turbulence in the last 2 years.

There has been a gradual build up of ships waiting at the Canadian west coast ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert as the ILWU Canada impasse stretches into a second week, with the total capacity of ships at the Puget Sound/British Colombia anchorages hitting 113,500 teu as at 9 July - the highest level since October 2022 but still well below the peak of over 300,000 teu recorded in early 2022. The situation remains fluid with more vessel diversions to US ports planned over the coming week. The

Container volumes recovered slightly in May, with flash estimates showing a 1.4% month-on-month increase over April although it is still 1.6% lower compared to the same month last year. Year to date growth remains negative at -1.8% over the first 5 months of the year. The Indian sub-continent was one of the key bright spots with May volumes up 9.8% yoy. The 2 main Indian ports of Mundra and Nhava Sheva both recorded healthy volumes with YTD volume growth reaching 8.0% and 6.3% respectively. S

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) have reached a tentative agreement with the PMA on 14 May 2023 on a new 6 year contract covering all 29 ports along the US West Coast, ending 13 months of negotiations that was marked by sporadic work actions by the port workers. The deal will still need to be ratified by the members in a process that would stretch over several months but it has helped to avert a catastrophic shutdown of port facilities in the US West Coast. The ILWU fai