Newsletter – June 8, 2023

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Strike vote at Pacific ports in Canada sparks fresh worries for BCOs

theloadstar.com
Supply chain planning involving the North American west coast is getting more challenging, as cargo owners now have to add the spectre of shutdowns at Canadian gateways to work stoppages at US ports.
Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Canada will vote today and tomorrow on whether to authorise strike action amid contract negotiations with the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA). Read more here (login required).

Transpacific box volumes pick up just as labour strife hits

splash247.com
More containers are on the waters of the Pacific heading for the west coast of North America than at any time this year, just as labour strife makes their smooth arrival uncertain.
Outbound transpacific cargo movements spiked to their highest level in six months in May, according to the Japan Maritime Centre, marking the first time since October 2022 that monthly outbound volumes on the route have exceeded 1.5m teu. All boxships heading across the Pacific due to arrive in the coming 18 days are tracked by Denmark’s eeSea below. Read more here.

More disruptions feared from cyber attacks

splash247.com
The majority of maritime professionals expect cyber attacks to disrupt ship operations in the coming years, with more than three quarters believing an incident is likely to force the closure of a strategic waterway.
A survey of 801 industry professionals by class society DNV found that more than half also expect cyber incidents to cause ship collisions, groundings, and even result in physical injury or death. Read more here.

Cargo ship runs aground off Japan

splash247.com
A Japanese general cargo vessel Taisei Maru No. 21 ran aground off the coast of Kasaoka City at Kogochi Island tip in the Inner Japan Sea.
The incident occurred on Wednesday around 01.00 hrs local time while the 1992-built 1,400 dwt vessel was on its way from Takasago in Hyogo to Kure in Hiroshima. Read more here.

Transpac rates head north as carriers face Panama Canal restrictions

theloadstar.com
Transpacific spot rates from Asia are set to spike as a consequence of industrial action at US west coast ports and Panama Canal draught restrictions.
And the prospect of a lengthy period of labour unrest at the ports will accelerate the coastal shift of cargo to the US east and Gulf coast gateways. Read more here.

Crew member injured as fire hits MSC containership

theloadstar.com
Reports of a fire on the 8,089 teu MSC Rita in the Persian Gulf and the hospitalisation of a crew member are a reminder of the potential risks to seafarers from container fires.
A spate of containership fires in recent years has brought tighter restrictions on commodities accepted for shipment by ocean carriers, as well as revised recommendations for stowage of hazardous cargo. Read more here (login required)