Trendwatch: China EV exports to EU soar ahead of incoming levies; PSA breaks ground on Singapore supply chain hub;Is the ‘Cargo Pendulum’ swinging back to West Coast Ports?

Is the ‘Cargo Pendulum’ swinging back to West Coast Ports?

After years of losing market share to East and Gulf Coast ports, U.S. West Coast ports are increasing their market share of imported goods in 2024, according to data provided by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA).

This follows the recent longshore strike; the huge 61% wage increase and the still unresolved issue of automation between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) which represents employers at U.S. East and Gulf ports.

China EV exports to EU soar ahead of incoming levies

China exported more than 60,000 electric vehicles to the European Union in September, with shipments jumping to the second-highest level on record ahead of additional tariffs expected to take effect at the end of October.

Firms from Asia’s biggest economy shipped 60,517 EVs to the 27 nations in the European trade bloc in September, up 61% from last year, according to customs data. The previous peak of 67,455 vehicles was in October 2023, when the European Commission announced that it was launching an anti-subsidy investigation into China-made EVs.

Can U.S. ports find middle ground on automation before second strike?

In early October, the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) ended a three-day strike at East and Gulf Coast ports, after agreeing to a temporary deal to extend the union's contract through January 15, 2025. But as negotiations on a longer-term contract continue in the meantime, the two sides still have a ways to go on the thorny subject of automation.

During the lead-up to the October work stoppage, the ILA made it clear that it had two priorities. First, the union wanted explicit guarantees that East and Gulf Coast ports wouldn't implement automated technology over the life of a new agreement. Second, the ILA was adamant that it wouldn't agree to anything less than a substantial wage increase for dockworkers. The latter was taken care of in the temporary deal, with the USMX approving a 62% pay bump over the next six years. When it comes to automation, though, the issue remains a point of contention.

Red Sea crisis causes “vessel bunching” to hit pandemic peak levels

In its latest analysis, Sea-Intelligence has dived into the “vessel bunching” phenomenon, which is defined as the number of sailings in a given week in excess of the number of weekly services.

The Danish maritime data analysis firm explains, “From a network design perspective, for every weekly deep-sea liner service, one vessel would be scheduled to depart from an origin region each week. However, in the real world, a shipping line can have multiple vessels departing in the same week, on the same service. This can be caused by vessel delays, where a delayed vessel slides into the following week, vessel shortages where shipping lines deploy two smaller vessels to replace a larger vessel, or because of extra-loader vessels to cater to excess demand/cargo backlog.”

Port of Antwerp-Bruges surpasses 10 million TEU threshold in 9M2024

The total container throughput of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges reached 10.15 million TEUs in the first nine months of the year, translating to a 6.8% year-on-year growth. It is important to note that nearly one in 10 of the containers handled by the Belgian port is a reefer box. In the first nine months of 2024, the number of full reefers increased by 9.7%, accounting for 8.5% of total container throughput.

“Demand for container transport remains strong, while the ongoing geopolitical and economic instability impacts other cargo types,” said the Port in a statement.