Charter market blows hot and cold

Hapag-Lloyd has contracted Chinese shipyards to build 24 new container ships, with a total capacity of 312,000 TEU, for US$ 4b, to be delivered by 2029.

A Maersk survey found 76% of its European customers faced supply chain disruptions this year, with 58% reporting increased costs and 22% experiencing over 20 incidents.

Spanish authorities intercepted a record 13t of cocaine hidden in a banana shipment at Algeciras port, surpassing the previous record set in 2023.

Shipyards have delivered a record 410 container ships in 2024, with orders more than doubling from last year despite fleet growth.

Pacific International Lines has ordered five more 9,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel vessels from Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, with delivery set for 2027-2028.

The US Federal Maritime Commission has opened a 15-day public comment period to review a vessel-sharing agreement among ONE, HMM, and Yang Ming for potential impacts on service, costs, and competition.