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Recently, despite opposition from the industry, Chittagong Port has insisted on implementing a new port charging structure. This structure has increased the average cost of various port services by 41%. So why did Chittagong adjust its charges? 1.Old expenses are no match for new one The toll standards in Chittagong have not been significantly adjusted for a long time since 1986. Chittagong believes that this rate has clearly failed to reflect the current operating costs and market conditions. 2. Alleviate operational pressure Its congestion once led to an additional loss of $15,000 to $20,000 per ship on average every day.Meanwhile, a large number of empty containers are piling up in the yard, affecting the operational efficiency. The authorities have also considered alleviating the problem by raising the yard rent. 3. Attracting investment and business With more money being made, investors are naturally more willing to come.It is learned that the four major container terminals of Chittagong Port (Patanga, New Mur, Radia and Gulf Terminal) will be transferred to foreign operators such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore. Shipping companies surely don't want to suffer losses. If Chittagong goes up, then I'll go up too.As a result, the Jilin University Port Authority revoked the licenses of seven CMA CGM vessels and two Maersk vessels due to "surcharge violations". In the end, Maersk still obtained a temporary license, but the condition was that it was not allowed to charge additional fees or charges to customers. Even the announcement on its official website was removed.

Despite industry concerns over overcapacity and falling global freight rates, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has pushed ahead with fleet expansion, dominating recent second-hand container ship deals.   Maritime consultancy Braemar reported MSC bought two 2007-built ships for $55 million total, and a 2012-built vessel with a charter for $31.25 million. It also secured at least three feeder ships in 10 days. As of October 8, MSC operates 943 ships, including 677 owned and 266 chartered ones.   Industry experts noted the strategy’s rationale: Xeneta’s Peter Sand said buying ships is wiser than chartering amid disconnected rates. CargoGulf’s Hans-Henrik Nielsen called some purchases "great deals" with low per-TEU daily costs. Braemar added MSC’s moves highlight an "uneven playing field" in shipping, as giants leverage resources to gain an edge, with some viewing it as a step toward global dominance.

As the Golden Week holiday is about to begin, the shipping market is undergoing a series of changes. This week, the spot prices of major east-west shipping routes continued to decline, which is the result of the combined effect of multiple factors.   Freight rates continue to fall   This week, significant price declines were seen on transpacific and Asia-Europe routes, as well as on the traditionally more stable transatlantic route.According to Drewry's World Container Index (WCI) for this week, spot rates on the Shanghai-Rotterdam route fell a further 9%, closing at $1,735 per 40ft, close to the low of $1,442 reached in mid-December 2023, before the Red Sea crisis.   Capacity Adjustments and Rate Changes   Drewry pointed out that liner companies are reducing capacity to align with the slowdown in demand before the Chinese Golden Week holiday, when factories will be closed for eight days. It is expected that freight rates will continue to decline in the coming week. The specific capacity adjustment situation is as follows picture.   Operational challenges exacerbate market weakness   Recently, operational challenges such as typhoons in South China and port strikes in Italy have further disrupted schedules, exacerbating congestion on the Asia-Europe shipping routes. Judah Levine, director of research at Freightos, said these delays could particularly disrupt shippers trying to ship before the Golden Week holiday. However, as many Asia-Europe shippers may have already moved their peak season cargo and due to the tariff deadline, the peak season for the trans-Pacific has been brought forward. It is expected that the decline in demand in October will minimize the impact of the typhoon on major trade routes.   Based on the current market situation, it is recommended that enterprises with shipping plans maintain business flexibility, book shipping space as early as possible, and closely monitor operational risks.

Nearly 200 shipping companies called on major maritime nations to adopt the first global greenhouse gas (GHG) fee, aiming to cut the sector’s emissions. The appeal, from the Getting to Zero Coalition, comes ahead of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s London meeting (Oct.14-17).   The IMO, which regulates international shipping, targets net-zero maritime GHGs by around 2050. This April, its member states agreed on a framework: a minimum GHG fee for ships over thresholds and a standard to phase in cleaner fuels.   The upcoming meeting will decide if the rules take effect in 2027. If approved, they will apply to ships over 5,000 gross tonnage—accounting for 85% of the sector’s carbon emissions. A rejection would delay decarbonization and hurt global climate goals, per the Clean Shipping Coalition.   Backers include the International Chamber of Shipping (representing 80% of the global merchant fleet) and U.S.-based firms, which prefer a unified system over regional rules. The framework would give firms certainty to invest in clean tech.

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he is extending the existing tariffs with Mexico, America’s largest trading partner, and he will pause higher tariffs that were set to go into effect on Friday. That means the status quo will continue, in which goods from Mexico are taxed at 25%, unless they are compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada trade deal Trump signed under his first term. In those instances, goods won’t face any tariffs, barring certain sectoral tariffs in place. “I have just concluded a telephone conversation with the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, which was very successful in that, more and more, we are getting to know and understand each other,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “The complexities of a Deal with Mexico are somewhat different than other Nations because of both the problems and assets of the Border. We have agreed to extend, for a 90-day period, the exact same Deal as we had for the last short period of time.” It’s unclear whether there will be exclusions on certain goods for the other countries Trump has sent letters to heads of state threatening to raise tariffs. This is a developing story and will be updated.

The White House's latest executive order announces that, effective August 29, the U.S. will fully suspend the de minimis tariff exemption policy for small-value parcels. This change will directly impact the operational costs of all cross-border sellers. Under the new regulations, commercial packages valued at $800 or below will no longer qualify for duty-free treatment under the de minimis rule. Cross-border sellers will now be required to pay either ad valorem duties or flat-rate tariffs for each item. For goods shipped via the international postal system, cross-border sellers will face flat-rate tariffs ranging from $80 to $200, depending on the IEEPA (International Emergency Economic Powers Act) tariff rate of the product's country of origin. This policy adjustment means that fulfillment costs for cross-border sellers will increase significantly, particularly impacting e-commerce businesses specializing in low-cost goods. The elimination of the U.S. de minimis tariff exemption forces cross-border sellers to reassess their pricing strategies and logistics approaches, likely squeezing profit margins in the cross-border e-commerce industry.

On July 29, the United States and China held the third round of tariff negotiations in Sweden. Based on the consensus reached in the new round of economic and trade talks, both sides agreed to extend the suspended 24% reciprocal U.S. tariffs and China's countermeasures for an additional 90 days. This means that all current tariff rates imposed by both sides, along with the corresponding countermeasures, will remain unchanged, extending beyond the original August 12 expiration date by another 90 days. The first day of talks lasted over five hours, but neither side issued a statement afterward. The agenda of this round of negotiations included allowing more time for discussions on issues such as fentanyl and crude oil energy. Prior to this meeting, the U.S. and China had already completed the first two rounds of talks in Geneva and London in May and June, respectively. Achievements from the earlier rounds included mutual tariff reductions, the establishment of a truce period set to expire on August 12, and eased restrictions on exports of rare earth minerals and semiconductors.

In July 2025, a shipper filed a massive $14.7 million claim with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) against carrier Yang Ming Marine Transport, marking the second-largest single claim received by the FMC since the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) took effect. Just two weeks earlier, Ocean Network Express (ONE) was slapped with an $18.1 million penalty after being sued by Cornerstone Brands and OVC for failing to meet even half of its contracted shipping volume. For the FMC, Yang Ming is no stranger. Shortly after the 2022 U.S. legislative reforms made claims easier to file, the Taiwanese carrier was pursued by a food shipper over unpaid debts. Now, Yang Ming faces a $14.7 million lawsuit from discount retailer Dollar General for failing to meet its minimum volume commitments. Breach of Contract & Capacity Manipulation Dollar General alleges that Yang Ming consistently failed to fulfill its service obligations from the very start of the contract, severely restricting allocated space while selling the same slots to NVOCCs at much higher rates. In one instance, Yang Ming provided only 24% of the promised capacity—despite guaranteeing "at least 130% weekly space" in the contract. During a 14-week forecast period (August–October 2021), Yang Ming defaulted 11 times, leaving a cumulative shortfall of 414 FEU. The carrier initially blamed port congestion and blank sailings, but later admitted the shortages were orchestrated by its Taipei headquarters. Even Yang Ming’s U.S. representatives reportedly expressed frustration with leadership, yet told Dollar General they "could do nothing." Financial Fallout Yang Ming had pledged to ship 2,226 FEU over the one-year contract but delivered just 616 FEU—a 73% deficit. Dollar General was forced to pay premium rates for alternative shipping or abandon shipments entirely, incurring losses of at least $14.77 million. Though smaller than Bed Bath & Beyond’s $32 million claim against OOCL in 2022, this case is now the second-largest claim under OSRA. Since the law’s passage three years ago, the FMC has handled ~50 cases against carriers and logistics firms, totaling over $100 million in disputes. Broader Implications These incidents underscore the ongoing compliance crisis in container shipping, where carriers face mounting scrutiny over capacity allocation, pricing transparency, and contractual accountability.