It was a positive start to the year for the port of Hamburg as Baltic volume shifting from Russia and a rise in China cargo pushed up first quarter throughput.
Hapag-Lloyd's sensor initiative is aimed at maximizing the use of its container fleet in an environment where global port congestion has reduced the number of turns each box makes on an annual basis.
With elevated contract rates already locked in, Hapag-Lloyd says a deteriorating spot market will not be enough to prevent another year of record profitability for the carrier.
Import volume from China has been increasing since late last year, and combined with the severely disrupted supply chains is leading to a deteriorating cargo storage situation across Europe.
German startup Flowfox is working with Kuehne + Nagel to pilot its platform that automates import clearance and container re-use at European ports with an eye toward global expansion of the solution.
Hapag-Lloyd has acquired Africa specialist carrier as the German container line expands its footprint in a continent the carrier’s CEO believes holds long-term potential.
The first-ever China-Europe express ocean service connecting just two ports is a move by Hapag-Lloyd to reduce its exposure to heavily congested North European hubs.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could exacerbate a tonnage shortage in the global MPV/HL sector driven by ongoing container-side congestion and spillover cargo.
Strong demand and port and inland logistics bottlenecks continue to tie up ships on the major trades, while carriers inject capacity to cover the disruption.