The Transpacific Stabilization Agreement, the main discussion agreement among transpacific container carriers, is adopting a two-step "guideline" rate increase that, when combined, would hike freight rates $500 per 40-foot container in December and January.

During the upcoming slack winter season CSAV, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), CMA CGM, Hamburg Sud, CCNI, Hanjin Shipping, China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL) and Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) will drop one of their four loops on the Far East-Mexico-west coast South America route.

THE 18,000-TEU Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller, one of the world's largest containerships, made its maiden call at Singapore, where it discharged 3,500 TEU on its way back from Europe.

Major container lines have announced planned rate increases for a variety of trades, as detailed below, slated to take effect in October and November.

Delivery on Monday of the 13,800 teu Thalassa Hellas, the first of a series of 10 sister vessels ordered by Greece’s Enesel, heralds Evergreen Line’s debut in the ultra large class of containership.

SINGAPORE's Maritime and Port Authority reported a 3.6 per cent increase in container movement in August, having handled 2.8 million TEU compared to 2.7 million TEU in August last year

APM Terminals today announced that its Yokohama facility has ranked first in a global productivity study released by JOC Group. APM Terminals Yokohama operated at a productivity level of 150 moves per hour (MPH), 26% more than its closest rival, says the port operator based in The Hague (Netherlands). The Japanese terminal handled 875,000 TEUs in 2012.

Orient Overseas Container Line has experienced a difficult first half of the year, reporting lower volumes, revenues and load factors than a year ago.

The recent surge in new vessel orders at a time of industry-wide overcapacity suggests that market fundamentals are no longer the main driver, according to the latest Container Insight report from Drewery Maritime Research.

The European transport, logistics and freight forwarding company, Norbert Dentressangle, has acquired Fiege’s logistics operations in Italy, Spain and Portugal, as part of a global development strategy.