As previously reported in our newsletters, the USA has announced a raft of port fees on Chinese vessels in an attempt to boost America's shipbuilding industry. Given China manufactures over 1000 ships per year whilst the U.S. builds five or fewer, this initiative has been met...
In the latest developments in the trade war between USA and China, reduced tariffs of 30% and 10% have been respectively announced, alongside a rollback on some of the steeper tariffs, giving both sides 90 days to continue negotiations. Regardless of the de-escalation of the trade...
A Trump administration port fee proposal designed to boost the U.S. shipbuilding industry could transform international intermodal traffic, shift some container business to ports in Canada and Mexico, and help Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City railroads in the process. As mentioned in last month's...
The US has proposed charging up to US$1.5 million for Chinese-built vessels entering the country's ports, starting at $500,000 for a vessel operator whose fleet consists of even just one Chinese-built ship, or that has an existing order with a China shipyard. In addition, a...
Shanghai Port achieved a historic milestone in 2024, becoming the first port worldwide to handle over 50 million TEUs annually, setting a new global record in the history of port container transport and solidifying its position as the world’s busiest container port for 15 consecutive...
According to the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index, spot freight rates between Shanghai and Melbourne dipped to their lowest level since mid-August in the first week of December, reaching 3700FEU. Given the subdued state of the Australian retail economy this decline was anticipated sooner, however rates were...
A new direct freight service between Shanghai and Fremantle ports is set to boost trade between Western Australia and China, its largest trading partner, reducing shipment time from 30 days to 14 days. This new “direct” route effectively removes the need to discharge cargo at the...
Australia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have finalised the highly anticipated Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), representing a significant milestone in the strengthening of the trade relationship. This agreement provides Australian farmers, producers, manufacturers, service providers, exporters, and workers with unprecedented access and preferential treatment...
A more detailed examination of the Australia-China rates shows a slight recovery in spot rates in the third week of October, after several weeks of (mostly) falls. The Shanghai Containerised Freight Index increased slightly to USD 4052/FEU, up from USD 3932/FEU in the week prior, and...
Last month the Chinese-leased Darwin Port signed a "friendly cooperation" agreement with Shenzhen Port in Southern China to support a closer relationship and boost trade opportunities. This non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aims to increase trade links between both strategic maritime gateways, boost trade opportunities and...