Freight rates in the international shipping industry are always volatile, especially for small to medium shippers who play the spot market for their import and export pricing. There are many [...]
IMO 2020 went into effect on January 1st, requiring sea vessels, including container ships, to abide by a 0.5% sulfur cap on fuel or use scrubbers (systems that clean fuel in engines) in order to [...]
As 2019 draws to a close, a ton of things are happening in international shipping. You would think with the last three blogs getting into IMO 2020, Incoterm changes with Incoterms 2020, and the [...]
In case anyone actually needed more evidence for the volatility of freight rates, ocean shipping prices just swung in the opposite direction again. After blogging just a week ago about a surge in [...]
Maersk predicted, a couple years ago, that carrier competition would shrink to just 3 global companies. Of course, Maersk is at the top of the list of carriers expected to be left if its [...]
The trade war between the U.S. and China drags on without an end in sight. However, things are not all bad news for U.S. importers. Shippers who import from China got good news last week as Trump [...]
We're finally seeing news on how carriers will pass higher fuel costs, which are on the way, to shippers.
It seems that all the news around the International Maritime Organization's [...]
Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) made headlines this week for doing something all businesses should do — focusing on customers. Correction: HMM made headlines for saying it would focus on [...]
A couple years ago in San Francisco, the world's major ocean freight carriers were holding a biannual Box Club meeting when the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) burst in on them with a raiding [...]
We live in a global economy where about 90% of the world's goods are transported by sea, but it hasn't been smooth sailing for the ocean freight shipping industry in recent years. And the waters [...]
Traditionally, when it comes to international shipping, there are two major modes to choose between: ocean freight and air freight. But now, shippers are starting to eye a combination service [...]
I've seen a lot of headlines this year about various ocean freight carriers losing money. However, it all came to a head for me with Mike Wackett's article in the Loadstar last week with the [...]
Don't look now, but peak season is upon us. Yes, those big volume shipping months when importers are bringing in products to line store shelves for the back to school and holiday seasons are [...]
Back in November, we blogged about Maersk no longer being the number one carrier. Today’s blog headlines with Maersk still being number one. So what gives? The previous blog was about who [...]
This is it! Universal Cargo’s final blog of 2017. This year certainly seems to have gone by fast. Last year, we began a new tradition of ending the year in the blog with a look back at the [...]
It’s bad news for ocean freight carriers but good news for U.S. shippers. At least, it’s good news for U.S. shippers in the short run. 2018 could see transpacific freight rates drop [...]
What kind of freight rates are shippers getting right now on their ocean shipping? The last time we posted on freight rates was in August with a blog titled Freight Rate Wars: Carriers Strike [...]
Maersk is the largest carrier by capacity in international shipping and clearly the leader of the industry. We’ve talked about this before in Universal Cargo’s blog: The moves Maersk [...]
Imagine going into a restaurant, being seated, and when the waiter asks to take your order, you request the check. Seems kind of odd right? Like maybe a few steps were missed? Well, that’s a lot [...]
Since the collapse of Hanjin Shipping, shippers are painfully aware of the possibility that major ocean carriers can go bankrupt. Although years of carriers suffering through billion dollar [...]
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