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18 September 2025 - Year XXIX
Independent journal on economy and transport policy
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CENTRO INTERNAZIONALE STUDI CONTAINERSANNO XXXVIII - Numero OTTOBRE 2020

PORTS

CONTAINER SLOTS SELL OUT, RISKING HOLIDAY 'SHIPAGEDDON'

"The ships are 100% full. The containers are 100% full. You can't get a container built. You can't pick up a ship from the spot market. The whole container-shipping cycle is at absolu-tely full pelt," exclaimed Jeremy Nixon, CEO of Ocean Network Express (ONE), the world's sixth-largest container line.

October's ocean container market is "unbelievable," said Nixon during an International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) virtual event last week. "We are sold out," he revealed.

"Our job now is to keep the network going from an operational standpoint," Nixon continued. "The ports are getting jammed up now. We're starting to see bottlenecks in the supply chain. That's another challenge going into this winter."

Some market watchers thought volumes and rates would relent in the wake of the China Golden Week holiday in early October. It hasn't happened yet. The trans-Pacific market is still at its peak. According to the Freightos Baltic Daily Index, spot rates from China to the West Coast (SONAR: FBXD.CNAW) were at $3,847 per forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU) on Friday. They've hovered around this same stratospheric level since the last week of September - at triple last year's rates.

Data on the number of customs filings for maritime imports (regardless of volume; calculated as a seven-day trailing avera-ge) likewise show no letup.

Countrywide filings frequency (SONAR: CSTM.USA) has bounced around the same high level since August, well above last year's levels.

Consumers are still spending

The number of U.S. coronavirus cases is on the rise. It looks like cases could soon surpass records set in July. On Thursday, the Labor Department reported 898,000 jobless claims (seasonally adjusted), well above the consensus forecast for 830,000. Mil-lions of Americans have fallen under the poverty line as a result of COVID.

And yet, in aggregate, Americans are spending more. According to statistics released Friday by the Commerce Department, con-sumer spending rose 1.9.% in September. That was more than double the consensus forecast.

"Consumer demand, as reflected in container trade, is in full-blown rebound," commented Stifel shipping analyst Ben Nolan.

In a new survey of companies conducted by investment bank Evercore ISI, 71% of respondents reported "better" or "much better" sales recoveries than expected, as of last Wednesday. In the previous quarterly survey, as of July 15, it was 57%. And current sentiment is particularly strong among homebuilders, pointing to more imports of building supplies and home furni-shings.

Empty shelves and 'shipageddon'

Inventories are historically low. There is rising concern that companies will not be able to import and deliver enough goods to meet consumer demand during the holiday season.

The New York Times cited rising concerns over the so-called "shipageddon" scenario, in which the retail supply chains and parcel shippers descend into chaos as Christmas nears.

A report released Monday by investment bank Jefferies warned of "empty shelves and raided storerooms," noting that "it's not just local grocers running out of essentials."

"The summer and fall stages of the U.S. recovery have been marked by incredibly strong retail and housing sales, which have both surpassed pre-COVID levels by a wide margin," wrote Jefferies. "Due to the torrid pace of sales and virus-related sup-ply disruptions, inventory-to-sales ratios have plummeted to record lows."

The Evercore ISI survey found that none of the consumer-business respondents thought inventory levels were "too high" or "a little too high." Only 10% said they were "about right," with 30% believing they were "a little too low" and 60% answering "too low."

The implication is that retailers still need to bring in a lot more goods, primarily from China. If so, that is bullish for ocean con-tainer lines and concerning for U.S. shippers in terms of tran-sport timing and availability, and spot and contract pricing.

Stimulus and Trump vs. Biden

The latest data sounds very upbeat. But there are huge variables: the extent of the fall and winter COVID resurgence, the outcome of the presidential and congressional elections, and the fate of new federal stimulus.

A new report from Columbia University estimates that the U.S. poverty rate rose from 15% in February to 16.7% in September despite government stimulus, and that the poverty rate would have risen to 18% without stimulus. Using a total population estimate of 331 million, that equates to over 4 million people at least temporarily saved from poverty (and given greater ability to buy food and other products). Aside from the humanitarian bene-fits, that led to a large volume of container imports that wouldn't have been ordered otherwise.

The Evercore ISI fiscal policy team analyzed GDP effects of future stimulus and election variables. The scenarios range from nothing to a stimulus package in both Q4 2020 and Q1 2021.

The analysts' best-case scenario is for a Q4 2020 deal between President Donald Trump and the Democrats, leading to a 4.2% positive impact on 2021 real GDP growth, followed by a landsli-de presidential/congressional win for Democrats, leading to a large Q1 2021 stimulus package, equating to an additional 6.3% real GDP impact for 2021.

The worst case would be no Q4 2020 deal, and a Trump victory, Republican Senate and Democratic House, equating to a smaller Q1 2021 deal with a 3.15% 2021 real GDP impact.

'I dread to think ... '

Just a few months ago, economic scenarios were dramatically worse. Nixon of ONE emphasized just how much worse the situation would have been if the container-shipping industry were not as adept as it proved to be.

"I always like to think of container shipping as the servant of global trade," said Nixon. "It is our job to keep the global econo-my going. Keep the lights on. To, behind the scenes, keep every-thing moving and flowing. Keep people fed.

"This has been a huge job this year. In all of the years we've been in this industry, I don't think we've seen anything like it. This has been a huge roller coaster, with ups and downs and changes and shifts.

"If you go back to April, when we suddenly had to work from home globally - not just us but all the stakeholders - and we had to keep things moving, that was an incredible task.

"The fact is that we now have a lot better systems and technolo-gy and planning than we used to have. We have a lot more digi-tized tools to help us. I think it's amazing as an industry that we managed to do that [keep trade flowing during lockdowns].

"And thank goodness we did, because otherwise, things would have come to a very, very quick halt. If this had occurred 10 years ago, I dread to think what would have happened." Click for more FreightWaves/American Shipper articles by Greg Miller

MORE ON CONTAINER SHIPPING: Trump vs. Biden: How the winner could affect ocean shipping: see story here. Get ready for blowout Q3 results in container shipping: see story here. U.S. import bonanza could extend into 2021 on 'record' restoc-king: see story here.

freightwaves.com



The first shipment of Syrian oil in 14 years arrives at the port of Trieste.
London
Part of the cargo - S&P Global Commodity Insights reports - was unloaded at the Sardinian terminal of Sarroch
In August, freight traffic in the port of Taranto grew by +20.3%
Taranto
The ferry "Drea" was also rejected by the Apulian port, where however it is temporarily stopped
Container traffic at the Port of Los Angeles remained stable in August.
Los Angeles
Volumes expected to decline in the remainder of 2025
Meeting between the port authorities of Jacksonville and Livorno
Livorno
Among the objectives, to start one or more direct services between the two ports
Italian State Railways and ENAC sign an agreement for the use of drones in infrastructure monitoring.
Rome
They will also be used to fly over sections of the railway and road network that would otherwise be difficult to monitor.
A.SPE.DO, the port of La Spezia is essential to ensuring employment, development, and a future for the local economy.
La Spezia
Landolfi: We cannot afford to underestimate its value.
The MIT meets with the heads of the Italian AdSPs
Rome
Meeting on the government's strategic vision for the sector and port reform
Yang Ming orders Hanwha Ocean Co. to build seven 15,880 TEU container ships
Keelung
They will be delivered between 2028 and 2029
Over 40 expressions of interest have been received for the development of the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk.
Kiev
Today the first meeting of the tender commission
The first commercial ship is expected at the public dock in Largo Trattaroli in Ravenna.
Ravenna
The car carrier "AICC Huanghu" is coming soon
Assiterminal's Terminal Road Show is starting
Genoa
Cognolato: We want to strengthen our ties with local communities and territories.
Container traffic at the Port of Long Beach decreased by 1.3% last month.
Long Beach
Empty containers are increasing. Full containers are decreasing.
Assoporti, the Italian ports' cruise offerings presented at the Seatrade Europe fair.
Hamburg
Giampieri: We are leaders in the Mediterranean area and in Europe
Commander Claudio Tomei, USCLAC president from 2012 to 2024, has passed away.
Viareggio
His strong commitment to improving the working conditions of Italian seafarers
In the first quarter of 2025, cargo traffic in Greek ports grew by +1.4%
Piraeus
Passengers down by -1.1%
HD Hyundai Samho Orders Four New Container Ships
Seoul
Order worth approximately 468 million dollars
Trieste: Fraudulent bankruptcy in the shipbuilding sector
Trieste
Investigation into a company based in Palermo
Container traffic in the port of Hong Kong fell by 7.4% in August.
Hong Kong
In the first eight months of 2025 the decline was -3.8%
Container traffic at the port of Singapore continued to decline in August
Singapore
Total volume of goods increased by +1.1%
BigLift Shipping and CY Shipping order two additional heavy lift vessels
Amsterdam
Order placed at Chinese shipyard Jing Jiang Nanyang Shipbuilding Co.
The Charthage ferry was placed under administrative detention in the port of Genoa
Genoa
A Coast Guard inspection found numerous deficiencies
Disney Cruise Line's largest ship's debut delayed by three months
Lake Buena Vista
Construction delays force the maiden voyage to be postponed until March 10th.
Shell to supply liquefied biomethane to Hapag-Lloyd containerships
Hamburg
Agreement effective immediately
Andrea Zoratti has been appointed general manager of Hub Telematica
Genoa
The company is controlled by Assagenti and Spediporto
Jotun and Messina sign agreement to improve the environmental and commercial performance of ships.
Genoa
The "Jolly Rosa" vessel will use the Hull Skating Solutions solution
PSA Genova Pra' announces the hiring of 25 people dedicated to container handling.
Genoa
Ferrari: International markets have changed profoundly
CMA CGM will not apply surcharges for new US taxes on Chinese vessels and Chinese services
Marseille
The rates announced by the USTR in April will apply from October 14th.
South Korean HJ Shipbuilding wins orders for four 8,850 TEU containerships
Busan
Orders with a total value of approximately 461 million dollars
Conference: "Waiting and Delays in Road Transport: Logistics in Check"
Genoa
Organized by Trasportounito, it will be held on September 26th in Genoa
GNV has inaugurated a new office in Barcelona
Barcelona
The company currently has 52 employees throughout Spain.
Port of Trieste: EU funding for two new projects
Trieste
Resources with a total value of 1.7 million euros
Filt Cgil, the Flotilla incident is serious. Dockworkers are ready to mobilize.
Rome
Union announces action if aid is not allowed to reach Gaza
SAILING LIST
Visual Sailing List
Departure ports
Arrival ports by:
- alphabetical order
- country
- geographical areas
In the first eight months of 2025, container traffic in the port of Gioia Tauro grew by +10.6%
Gioia Tauro
2,912,943 TEUs were handled
Stena Line to buy Latvian port operator Terrabalt
Gothenburg
It handles rolling stock, bulk cargo, and general cargo traffic in the port of Liepaja.
Meyer Turku begins construction of Royal Caribbean's fourth "Icon"-class cruise ship
Miami/Turku
It will be delivered in 2027
More than one in ten maritime shipments has shortages
Washington
This is what a report by the World Shipping Council has revealed, highlighting the safety risks
Last July, traffic in the port of Ravenna increased by +3.8%
Ravenna
In the first seven months of 2025, growth was +5.4%
In the first quarter of 2025, freight traffic in Belgian ports fell by -3.2%.
Brussels
Landings down 1.3% and embarkations down 5.4%
Product tanker High Fidelity rescues 38 migrants on a drifting dinghy
Rome
Intervention in the south of the island of Crete
GES and RINA sign agreement to develop a prototype of a new hydrogen battery
Rovereto/Genoa
PSA's second phase of container terminal at Mumbai Port inaugurated
Singapore
Annual traffic capacity will increase to 4.8 million TEUs
The conference "EU ETS - Perspectives and Opportunities for Decarbonization in the Maritime Sector" will be held in Palermo.
Rome
It will be held on September 18th and 19th
Fincantieri and PGZ sign an agreement to support the modernization of the Polish Navy
Trieste
The third LSS section for Chantiers de l'Atlantique was launched in Castellammare di Stabia.
In the US, funding for wind energy development projects in ports is being cut.
Washington
Resources worth $679 million will be reallocated for port infrastructure upgrades
From January 1st, Kombiverkehr will operate the PKV intermodal terminal in the port of Duisburg.
Frankfurt am Main
It has a traffic capacity of approximately 200 thousand intermodal units per year.
Wallenius Marine and ABB form Overseas joint venture
Stockholm
The aim is to accelerate the launch of the platform of the same name for improving fleet performance.
DHL eCommerce has acquired a minority stake in Saudi Arabia's AJEX Logistics Services.
Bonn/Riyadh
The Middle Eastern company has two thousand employees
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has asked the Region to agree on the appointment of Bagalà as president of the Sardinian Port Authority.
Rome
He is currently the extraordinary commissioner of the same body
CMPort's port terminals handled record container traffic in the second quarter
Hong Kong
In the first six months of 2025 the total was 78.8 million TEUs (+4.3%)
Confitarma approves the decree on advanced training for tanker seafarers.
Rome
Applause to the General Command of the Port Authority Corps
Quarterly freight traffic in Moroccan ports increases
Tangier/Casablanca
In Tanger Med the growth was +17%
The board of directors of the Genoa-based Ente Bacini has been renewed.
Genoa
President Alessandro Arvigo and CEO Maurizio Anselmo
In the second quarter, sales of dry containers produced by CIMC fell by -33%.
Hong Kong
Reefer boats increase by 57%
The Grimaldi Group has taken delivery of the Grande Shanghai
Naples
It will be used for the transport of vehicles between East Asia and Northern Europe
Chinese automaker FAW ships components to Europe by train
Changchun
Transit time reduced to 18 days compared to 45 days for maritime transport
The ART urges to verify that the investment plan and the related amortization period are consistent with the duration of the port concessions.
Turin
Opinions regarding the concession extensions requested by the Neapolitan companies So.Te.Co. and Co.Na.Te.Co.
The assets and fleet of the Spanish Armas Trasmediterránea will be sold to Baleària and DFDS
Las Palmas/Dénia/Copenhagen
Two agreements worth €215 million and €40 million respectively have been signed.
Italian State Railways (FS), investing €70 million to install the ERTMS system.
Rome
Work has been completed on 382 Trenitalia trains, while the retrofitting of 60 locomotives from Mercitalia Rail, an FS Logistix company, is underway.
MPC Container Ships' quarterly revenue returns to growth
The second quarter of 2025 was closed with a net profit of 78.1 million dollars (+20.5%)
Plans to build two container customs areas north and south of the Suez Canal
Cairo
Fourteen of the 48 abandoned shipwrecks in Catania port have been removed.
Catania
The activity will be replicated in the port of Augusta
The Regional Administrative Court (TAR) has confirmed the validity of the tender for the new Ravano Terminal in the port of La Spezia.
La Spezia
DP World's port terminals handled record quarterly container traffic
Dubai
Revenues grew by 22.2% in the first half of 2025
In the quarter April-June the volume of rolling stock transported by Höegh Autoliners increased by +9.0%
Oslo
Sharp increase (+46.6%) of vehicles from Asia
South Korea's HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering acquires Vietnam's Doosan Enerbility
Seongnam
It manages an industrial area with its own port facility
Container traffic in the port of Algeciras grew by 6.6% in July
Algeciras
In the first seven months of 2025, a decrease of -2.9% was recorded
In July, the port of Valencia handled 488,000 containers (+6.7%)
Valencia
Increase driven by growth in empty containers
Salvini has appointed Annalisa Tardino as extraordinary commissioner of the Western Sicilian Sea Port Authority.
Rome/Palermo
The President of the Sicilian Region announces the appeal against the provision
The materials dredged in the ports of La Spezia and Carrara will be used for the construction of the new breakwater in Genoa.
Genoa/La Spezia
Agreement between the two Ligurian Port System Authorities
X-Press Feeders denounces authorities' failure to acknowledge responsibility in the X-Press Pearl accident
Singapore
According to the company, the Supreme Court ruling ignores international maritime law
Cargo traffic in Russian ports remained stable in July
St. Petersburg
In the first seven months of 2025, loads decreased by -4.6%
Container traffic in the port of Hong Kong decreased by -6.5% in July
Hong Kong
A decline of -3.7% was recorded in the first seven months of 2025
In July, the Port of Singapore set a new all-time record for monthly container traffic with 3.9 million TEUs.
Singapore
In terms of weight, containerized cargo decreased by -3.6%
Compensation to be paid by the Civitavecchia Port Authority in the Fincosit case has been set at €1.5 million.
Civitavecchia
Latrofa: The ruling allows the release of set-aside sums that have frozen the budget for years.
Germany's HHLA posts record quarterly revenue
Hamburg
In the second quarter, the group's port terminals handled 3.2 million containers (+7.9%)
In the first half of 2025, CK Hutchison's port terminals handled 44 million containers (+4.0%)
Hong Kong
In the quarter April-June the Wallenius Wilhelmsen fleet transported 14.8 million cubic meters of rolling stock (-0.5%)
Lysaker
Revenues down by -0.7%
In the second quarter, Montenegro's ports handled 670 thousand tons of goods (+0.6%)
Podgorica
Volumes with Italy amounted to 154 thousand tons (+53.1%)
PORTS
Italian Ports:
Ancona Genoa Ravenna
Augusta Gioia Tauro Salerno
Bari La Spezia Savona
Brindisi Leghorn Taranto
Cagliari Naples Trapani
Carrara Palermo Trieste
Civitavecchia Piombino Venice
Italian Interports: list World Ports: map
DATABASE
ShipownersShipbuilding and Shiprepairing Yards
ForwardersShip Suppliers
Shipping AgentsTruckers
MEETINGS
Conference: "Waiting and Delays in Road Transport: Logistics in Check"
Genoa
Organized by Trasportounito, it will be held on September 26th in Genoa
The conference "EU ETS - Perspectives and Opportunities for Decarbonization in the Maritime Sector" will be held in Palermo.
Rome
It will be held on September 18th and 19th
››› Meetings File
PRESS REVIEW
Korean Firms Reassess U.S. Investments After Mass Immigration Raid
(The Korea Bizwire)
Russia's infrastructure development plan aims to build 17 marine terminals by 2036
(Interfax)
››› Press Review File
FORUM of Shipping
and Logistics
Intervento del presidente Tomaso Cognolato
Roma, 19 giugno 2025
››› File
With the arrival of the first container ship, the testing of operational procedures at the Rijeka Gateway begins.
The Hague
The first commercial ship is expected on September 12th
A proposal to bring the port of Taranto back onto global container routes? Start a discussion table.
Taranto
Meeting on the status of freight traffic
Port of Ancona: Tender for demolition of fire-damaged Tubimar warehouses
Ancona
The expected duration of the works is four and a half months
Merger of the German MACS and Hugo Stinnes, both active in the MPP vessel segment
Hamburg/Rostock
Stinnes headquarters in Rostock to close by December 31
In the second quarter, freight traffic in Albanian ports grew by +2.9%
Tirana
There were 331 thousand passengers (+13.6%)
A.SPE.DO, operationalizing the Smart Terminal to increase the competitiveness of the port of La Spezia.
La Spezia
ING loans to Premuda for over 100 million dollars
Milan
Funds for the management buyout and the purchase of two product tankers
Sallaum Lines has taken delivery of the first of six Ocean-class dual-fuel PCTCs
Rotterdam
The ship was completed four months ahead of schedule
First meeting of the new Management Committee of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority
Genoa
Several measures approved, including those for CULMV and CULP staff
Euroports to operate a new liquid bulk terminal in the French port of Port-La Nouvelle
Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht
It is expected to become operational in 2026
In the second quarter, freight traffic in the port of Ravenna increased by +2.6%
Ravenna
Growth of 0.6% was recorded in June. An increase of 4.8% is expected in July.
OsserMare presents five reports on the marine economy
Rome
They focus on a specific sector supply chain or aspect of it
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