Newsletter – March 29, 2021

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

CMA CGM Air Cargo adds second freighter and route

aircargonews.net
CMA CGM Air Cargo has added two new routes in the US as its second freighter begins operations.
The shipping group-owned airline said that on March 28 it had added a flight from its Liege hub to New York JFK and Atlanta to its network as part of a single route.
The move comes after the carrier put its second of four A330Fs into action. Read more here.

Shanghai set to develop Hongqiao Airport – but not as a rival for Pudong

theloadstar.com
Shanghai plans to develop its domestic airport into a major international hub – but insists it won’t “fall into vicious competition” with Shanghai Pudong International (PVG), the country’s biggest air cargo gateway.
This month, the Shanghai municipal government published a blueprint to develop Hongqiao International Airport (SHA), a 7,000 sq km site on the city’s western outskirts, connecting with neighbouring Jiangsu province. Read more here (login required).

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Huge Suez operation frees the Ever Given

splash247.com
The 20,388 teu Ever Given was refloated in the early hours of Monday morning according to the Suez Canal Authority. The giant 399m long Evergreen operated vessel will have an initial assessment for damages. The ship’s engines are running, and sources on site say the ship is fully mobile, but the decision has been made to take the ship under tow to the Bitter Lake to the north. The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) will soon be in a position to start to get convoys underway to move the hundreds of ships waiting at either end of the vital waterway linking Europe with Asia. Read more here.

Suez Canal Grounding Gives Rise to Fraudulent Claims Online

maritime-executive.com
A global crisis hits the shipping industry, and guess what’s the first thing to spread faster than COVID? Misinformation. Here are just a few of the fraudulent social media posts that have spread like wildfire after the Suez shutdown. Read more here.

Shipping rates to soar, with a new Cape surcharge as ships are diverted

theloadstar.com
Container spot rates from Asia to Europe look set to surge again, as carriers are obliged to blank sailings in response to the Suez Canal blockage.
The Loadstar understands that shipping lines are considering introducing a Cape surcharge for vessels that are diverted around Africa to recover the extra cost of bunker fuel consumed in the additional seven to 10-day transit. Read more here (login required)

GROUND AND RAIL FREIGHT UPDATES

Transportation costs keep rising as service deteriorates

freightwaves.com
Truckload carriers have continued to struggle to provide consistent coverage through the first quarter of 2021, and in return costs have increased. This relationship seems counterintuitive at a base level — why would you spend more to get less? — but it is a common result of demand exceeding supply in just about any industry. Read more here.

Bangladesh frees up boxes and yard space – but it still may not help exports

theloadstar.com
Bangladesh is freeing-up of hundreds of containers that have remained undelivered for years and occupy valuable space at Chittagong port and depots.
Chittagong Customs and the Chittagong Port Authority started work this morning to make the containers available and free yard space, amid worldwide shortages of equipment. Read more here.