Newsletter – April 8, 2024

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Box logjams at Canadian ports as import surge meets rail shortages
theloadstar.com
A surge of imports meeting strained rail capacity has pushed up container dwell times at North American west coast ports, especially in Vancouver.
And importers face further disruption with Canadian rail workers set to vote on industrial action in their contract negotiations with the railways. Read more here (login required).

Port of Montreal Labour Negotiations Update
ciffa.com
In a statement on April 5, the Maritime Employers Association said that mediation meetings have been scheduled by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service for April 8 and 9.
The MEA noted that there has been no strike vote and the union has not planned a meeting to set that in motion. For any pressure tactics to be applied, a vote and 72 hours’ notice is necessary.
“While the situation at the Port of Montreal and at the MEA is critical, our priority remains the conclusion of a negotiated collective agreement as soon as possible,” the MEA stated.

Red Sea update: More ships attacked as Houthis claim danger area ‘expanding’
theloadstar.com
The past week has seen an increase in attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, and a Houthi spokesperson has sparked fears of the ‘danger area’ expanding into the Arabian Sea.
Eight consecutive days of attack-free shipping in the Red Sea, between 23 March and 1 April, marked the longest quiet streak since December, when containerships began diverting around the Cape of Good Hope. Read more here (login required).

Containers offloaded from stricken boxship in Baltimore
splash247.com
Salvage crews on Sunday began removing containers from the deck of the containership that crashed into and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
The removal of the containers from the deck of the Dali would continue this week as weather permits, according to a statement from the Key Bridge Response Unified Command. Read more here.