Gary G. Burrows
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Veteran journalist. Editorial Director, Breakbulk Events & Media. One character, 140 characters at a time. Views are my own.
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Articles by Gary G. Burrows
Descartes Integrates Ocean Data into SAP
Descartes Systems Group has integrated its MacroPoint Advanced Ocean Visibility service with two SAP transportation platforms, allowing shippers to book and track ocean shipments within their existing SAP workflows. The production integration connects with SAP Business Network Freight Collaboration and SAP Business Network Global Track and Trace through the Descartes Global Logistics Network.
Shipping Emissions Fall as Fleet Grows, Drewry
Global shipping reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 1.3 percent in 2025 even as fleet capacity and sailing distances increased, according to Drewry’s analysis of verified data submitted to the International Maritime Organization. Vessel capacity increased 2 percent during the year and the total distance sailed rose 1 percent. Average emissions per vessel nevertheless declined 4 percent, while emissions per nautical mile decreased 2.3 percent.
Pall-Ex Names Byers Interim CEO
Pall-Ex Group appointed Barry Byers interim group CEO following the departure of former CEO Kevin Buchanan. Buchanan left Pall-Ex with immediate effect Oct. 9. The company declined to discuss the circumstances, citing employment confidentiality, but said his departure was unrelated to the network’s financial or operational performance. Byers joined the palletized freight distribution network in 2019 and most recently served as group chief operating officer.
Fuel-flexible Bulkers Enter Orderbook
Ethanol-capable vessels have entered the dry bulk orderbook for the first time, with 19 methanol- and ethanol-capable ships now on order, according to Drewry. The orders are connected to Vale’s program for fuel-flexible ore carriers and involve several owners securing vessels against long-term employment with the Brazilian miner. Vale’s broader program could encompass as many as 30 large ore carriers.
Multipurpose Sentiment Hits Four-year High
Multipurpose and breakbulk carrier sentiment has reached its highest level since early 2022, with operators expecting tightening vessel availability to persist even if geopolitical chokepoints begin reopening. The Market Sentiment Index for the multipurpose and breakbulk shipping industry rose to 55.8 in the fourth quarter, extending its recovery for a second consecutive period.
‘K’ Line Releases $8 Billion Growth Plan
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (“K” Line) plans to invest approximately US$8 billion (1.25 trillion yen) during the five years through fiscal 2031 as it expands beyond its core ocean transportation businesses into logistics, offshore services and energy supply chains. The plan was released as “K” Line raised its fiscal 2026 earnings outlook following stronger dry bulk markets and improved containership results.
GEODIS Adds Irish Telecom Contracts
GEODIS will provide warehousing and distribution services in Ireland for fiber broadband provider SIRO and telecommunications company Vodafone. Operating from its multi-client facility in Dublin, GEODIS will receive, store and distribute equipment supporting SIRO’s continuing fiber network rollout across residential and commercial markets. SIRO is a joint venture between Irish energy company ESB and Vodafone.
US Customs Changes Raise Importer Stakes
U.S. importers and logistics providers face a widening list of Canadian tariffs, new low-value shipment requirements and increased enforcement scrutiny as federal agencies reshape customs procedures and pursue tariff evasion. U.S. Customs and Border Protection expanded the range of Canadian products subject to an additional 50 percent Section 338 duty effective Oct. 30. The revision added 100 Harmonized Tariff Schedule classifications while removing 22 classifications from the additional duty.
Low-value Imports Face New Compliance Rules
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is proposing new electronic filing, data and bonding requirements for informal entries of goods valued at $2,500 or less, expanding the compliance changes already reshaping low-value imports. Under the proposed rule, Entry Type 11 would have to be filed electronically on or before the date of importation. CBP would also establish Entry Type 13 as a new electronic informal entry for merchandise arriving through the international mail system.
India Coal Imports Fall 7%, BIMCO
Coal shipments to India fell 7 percent year over year during the first 10 months of 2026 as higher import costs weakened demand, according to BIMCO. India is the world’s second-largest coal importer and accounts for 17 percent of global coal shipments. Its declining imports have had the greatest effect on supramax vessels, whose coal shipments to India fell 16 percent year over year. Panamax volumes declined 4 percent as those vessels increasingly competed with other ship segments for cargoes.
Asia Break Bulk Charters Four MPV Newbuilds
Asia Break Bulk has signed long-term agreements to charter four 12,600 dwt multipurpose project cargo newbuildings from Schoeller Holdings, expanding its capacity as availability tightens in the heavy-lift market. Shandong Port Marine Equipment Co. Ltd. will construct the vessels to the Octopus design developed by CSSC-SDARI. The first is scheduled for delivery in October 2028, followed by three sister vessels at three-month intervals in the first, second and third quarters of 2029.
Bulker Supply to Outpace Demand, BIMCO
The dry bulk shipping market is expected to weaken in 2027 as accelerating vessel deliveries outpace demand growth under either of BIMCO’s two Strait of Hormuz scenarios. BIMCO forecasts the dry bulk fleet growing 4 percent in both 2027 and 2028, driven largely by increased capesize deliveries. Cargo growth is expected to remain limited, while coal shipments begin declining.
Herschel Automates Parcel, LTL Shipping
Herschel Parts has consolidated parcel and less-than-truckload shipping within an enterprise resource planning-integrated system, eliminating about 10 hours of weekly manual data entry. The agricultural replacement-parts manufacturer and distributor is processing 98 percent of its shipments through a single workflow using Descartes Systems Group’s Pacejet multicarrier shipping platform.
CH Robinson Moves AI Across Global Forwarding
C.H. Robinson has extended its artificial-intelligence tools into ocean shipping, airfreight and customs brokerage, automating portions of freight quoting, booking and document processing. The third-party logistics provider said its AI agents have produced more than 80,000 ocean and airfreight price quotes for more than 3,600 customers.
GEODIS Gains Poland Defense Certification
GEODIS has obtained certification in Poland permitting it to expand international forwarding services involving strategically sensitive and dual-use goods. The Internal Compliance Programme certificate, known in Poland as WSK, was issued Sept. 16 by the Quality Certification Centre of the Military University of Technology. It confirms that GEODIS Road Network in Poland meets requirements governing trade in strategic goods.
Port Tampa Bay Channel Project Advances
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began geotechnical investigations supporting a proposed four-foot deepening of Port Tampa Bay’s federal navigation channel. The work involves drilling soil borings and collecting subsurface samples at multiple locations. Results will inform engineering and design decisions for the Tampa Harbor Navigation Improvement Project, which would deepen the main channel from 43 to 47 feet. The main channel extends about 42 miles.
Galveston Chief Rees Elected TPA President
Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO, was elected president of the Texas Ports Association for a two-year term. Rees, who has served on the association’s board since 2023, began his term Oct. 21. The organization represents 21 maritime ports and industry affiliates along the Texas Gulf Coast and inland waterways.
Trailer Bridge Names Caribbean Vet Gittens CEO
Trailer Bridge appointed Charles Gittens chief executive officer, effective Nov. 2. Gittens brings more than 30 years of transportation and logistics experience, including leadership roles in ocean transportation and Caribbean trade. He most recently served as president of trade for King Ocean Services, overseeing operations involving the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and the Eastern Caribbean.
Congestion Supports Freight Rate Floor
Persistent port congestion and higher fuel costs could prevent freight rates from returning to earlier levels as peak-season demand begins to ease, according to Freightos. In its October Global Freight Outlook, Freightos said typhoon-related backlogs continued at major Far East ports, while congestion persisted at Northern European hubs. The disruption could take months to clear and establish a higher rate floor ahead of the pre-Lunar New Year shipping period.
LNG Lifts Port of Corpus Christi Tonnage
Port of Corpus Christi customers moved a record 162.7 million tons of cargo through the Corpus Christi Ship Channel during the first nine months of 2026, an increase of 6.1 percent from the comparable period last year. Third-quarter volume totaled 52.4 million tons, up 3 percent from 50.9 million tons during the third quarter of 2025, according to the port. The increase was driven principally by liquefied natural gas.
WiseTech Outlook Flags Rising Asia Trade Risk
Ocean freight capacity and reliability risks are increasing on major Asia trade lanes, according to WiseTech Global’s October Ocean Freight Risk Outlook. WiseTech rated overall risk on both Asia-North America and Asia-Europe trades as high. Europe-North America received a low overall rating. On Asia-North America, tightening capacity and declining booking acceptance represent the principal concerns.
Coos Bay Lands $204.8 Million Rail Grant
The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay has been selected to receive $204.8 million in federal funding for rail improvements supporting its proposed Pacific Coast Intermodal Port. The Federal Railroad Administration selected the project for $204,771,601 through its fiscal 2025-2026 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program. The port said it was the third-largest of 105 awards nationwide.
China Widens Shipbuilding Lead, BIMCO Says
China’s shipyards captured nearly three-quarters of global vessel contracting during the year ended Sept. 1, further extending the country’s lead while raising questions about whether expanded building capacity can remain fully employed. The global shipyard order book reached an estimated 203.2 million compensated gross tons, or CGT, on Sept. 1, an increase of 13 percent from 180 million CGT a year earlier, according to BIMCO.
Delta Cargo Opens CargoWise Booking Access
Delta Cargo has connected its global network to CargoWise, allowing freight forwarders to obtain schedules, rates and available capacity and manage bookings without leaving the logistics platform. Delta confirmed that the connection is operational across its full network, with no markets excluded. CargoWise users can plan, book, confirm and manage Delta Cargo shipments through a standardized real-time data exchange.
Qatar Expands US, Europe Freighters Network
Qatar Airways Cargo is expanding its Boeing 777 freighter network with new or restored services involving New York, Dallas/Fort Worth, Copenhagen and Warsaw. The carrier will begin weekly New York freighter service Nov. 1 on a Doha-Liège-New York-Atlanta-Liège-Doha rotation. Combined with 14 weekly passenger flights, the freighter will increase Qatar’s cargo capacity at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to more than 226 tonnes in each direction per week.
Pelicargo Adds Qatar Airways Booking Access
Pelicargo has integrated its digital airfreight procurement platform with Qatar Airways Cargo, giving U.S. freight forwarders access to the carrier’s rates, capacity and booking system. The application programming interface integration is live, with bookings created through Pelicargo being processed within Qatar Airways Cargo’s system, the carrier confirmed. Pelicargo users can view real-time Qatar rates and available capacity.
Suez Return Could Pressure Charter Markets
The container shipping industry’s return to the Suez Canal could weaken time-charter markets and eventually place additional pressure on freight rates as carriers absorb capacity released from longer Cape of Good Hope routings, BIMCO Chief Shipping Analyst Niels Rasmussen said. Container ship capacity transiting the canal averaged 753,000 TEUs per week during the first two weeks of October, exceeding 50 percent of pre-Red Sea disruption levels for the first time since Houthi attacks began.
Global Container Reliability Falls to 27%, Xeneta
Global container shipping schedule reliability declined for a fourth consecutive month in September, falling 2 percentage points to 27 percent, according to Xeneta. Average vessel delays increased to six days, up 2.4 days since the beginning of the second quarter. Xeneta attributed much of the deterioration to the lingering effects of typhoons and congestion across Asian trades. Reliability between the Far East and Europe fell to 4 percent, its lowest level since September 2021.
BIMCO Tags Ship-efficiency Retrofit Barriers
BIMCO has adopted a contractual framework intended to make it easier for shipowners and charterers to agree on investments in energy-saving equipment during a time charter. The Energy Saving Device Retrofit Addendum 2026 provides a mechanism for allocating the cost, installation time and fuel-saving benefits associated with retrofit projects.
Project Cargo Demand Lifts Toepfer MPP indexes
Strong demand for multipurpose vessels capable of carrying project cargo pushed Toepfer Transport’s principal charter indexes higher in October, with reported fixtures in some cases exceeding the benchmarks. The monthly Toepfer Multipurpose Index increased 1.49 percent to US$13,023 per day. The TMI-500, which tracks larger multipurpose and heavy-lift tonnage, rose 0.64 percent to US$17,782 per day.
EU SAF Mandate Exposes Import Reliance
The European Union’s expanding sustainable aviation fuel mandate is exposing a reliance on imported feedstocks, raising questions about supply security and the development of domestic production capacity. According to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, 85 percent of the feedstocks used for SAF supplied at EU airports in 2025 originated outside the bloc. China accounted for 61 percent, followed by Malaysia at 8 percent and Indonesia at 5 percent.
AMS Barging Adds Felicitas to Tanker Fleet
Dutch inland shipping company AMS Barging has added the 9,000-cubic-meter tanker Felicitas to its European fleet. The 135-meter vessel was christened in Rotterdam and has entered service on the spot market following its first commercial voyage. Its addition expands the AMS Barging fleet to 17 vessels.
DHL Names Schneider to Lead Investor Relations
DHL Group said Robert Schneider will become executive vice president of investor relations April 1, succeeding Martin Ziegenbalg, who plans to retire in May after 25 years with the company. Schneider is currently senior vice president for institutional investors. He joined DHL Group in 2011 and has held his present role since 2015, maintaining the company’s relationships with institutional investors and analysts worldwide. He will report to Chief Financial Officer Melanie Kreis.
CH Robinson to Buy RXO; Investors Question Deal
C.H. Robinson plans to migrate RXO’s overlapping truckload and less-than-truckload operations onto its Navisphere platform and apply the productivity model behind its own recent transformation as it seeks US$300 million in annual synergies from its US$5.8 billion acquisition of RXO.
Tight Truck Capacity Causes Intermodal Shift
Tightening U.S. truckload capacity is pushing more freight into intermodal and LTL networks as shippers seek alternatives to rising trucking costs, according to C.H. Robinson’s October market outlook. The logistics provider said route-guide failures remain elevated in truckload, while carriers are becoming increasingly selective about the freight they accept.
AI Stokes Cyberattacks, Expands Attack Surface
Booz Allen Hamilton is warning that artificial intelligence is accelerating cyberattacks while allowing intruders to increasingly exploit legitimate identities, software and business processes to avoid detection. Automated tools can generate working exploit code in as little as five minutes, while newly disclosed vulnerabilities can be weaponized within 24 hours, according to Booz Allen. Some AI-enabled systems can perform as much as 90 percent of an offensive cyber workflow.
AI Drives Global Trade to Defy Tariffs, Conflict
Global trade is proving more resilient to tariffs and geopolitical disruption than expected, with the artificial intelligence investment boom emerging as a major driver of international goods flows. Global goods trade grew faster during the first half of 2026 than in any half-year since 2011, excluding the exceptional rebound following the Covid-19 downturn, according to the October DHL Globalization Tracker, produced by DHL and New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Suez Experiment Approaches Its Litmus Test
The Suez experiment is approaching its litmus test. After more than two years of trial voyages, security assessments and cautious rerouting, container lines are beginning to move entire service strings back through the Red Sea and Suez Canal. The latest shift comes from the Gemini Cooperation, where Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are returning four additional services to Suez, joining two already using the route.
BIMCO Adopts Contract Framework for Retrofits
BIMCO has adopted a new contractual framework designed to encourage investment in energy-saving technologies by addressing how shipowners and charterers share the costs and benefits of vessel retrofits. The Energy Saving Device Retrofit Addendum 2026 provides a mechanism for negotiating the allocation of equipment and installation costs, vessel downtime and fuel savings when retrofits are undertaken during a time charter.
GEODIS Expands Europe Electric Truck Fleet
GEODIS has ordered 110 electric heavy-duty trucks as it expands both its battery-electric fleet and charging network in France. The 44-ton trucks, supplied by Renault Trucks and Volvo Trucks and scheduled for delivery by May 2027, will be used for urban deliveries and long-distance transport. The order will increase the electric fleet operated by GEODIS’ European Road Network business to 190 vehicles.
Galveston Leases 30 Acres for LNG Bunkering
The Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees has approved a lease and development agreement with Power LNG LLC for a liquefied natural gas production, storage and marine bunkering facility on Pelican Island, positioning the port to serve growing demand for LNG-powered vessels along the Texas Gulf Coast. The proposed 30-acre facility would occupy part of an 82-acre port-owned tract on Galveston Harbor.
Maersk Pioneers US Deep-Sea Ethanol Bunkering
Maersk has completed what it says is the first ship-to-ship commercial ethanol bunkering of a deep-sea container vessel in the U.S., testing another potential alternative fuel pathway for ocean shipping. The dual-fuel Tangier Maersk was bunkered with 100 percent U.S.-produced corn ethanol. Maersk said the operation provided practical experience with the infrastructure, sourcing, supply chain and operational requirements involved in using ethanol as a marine fuel.
Rail, EV Trucks Reshape Long Beach Inland Moves
A combination of short-haul rail and zero-emission drayage is emerging at the Port of Long Beach as an alternative model for moving containers inland, as rising trucking costs and capacity constraints strengthen the economics of intermodal transportation. Union Pacific’s service connecting the San Pedro Bay port complex with its Phoenix Intermodal Terminal now operates seven days a week, up from three when the terminal opened in April 2024.
US, China Tag $60B in Potential Tariff Relief
The U.S. and China have recommended about US$60 billion in two-way trade for potential preferential tariff treatment under a new bilateral framework, identifying about US$30 billion of products in each direction that could eventually receive lower tariffs. The recommendations cover non-sensitive goods and are the latest step under the U.S.-China Board of Trade, established by President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during Trump’s May visit to Beijing.
US-China Dry Bulk Shipments Double, BIMCO
U.S. dry bulk shipments to China more than doubled during the first nine months of 2026 as grain volumes recovered from last year’s trade-related decline, according to BIMCO. Shipments increased 104 percent year over year during the first three quarters, led by a 176 percent increase in grain cargoes, BIMCO Shipping Analysis Manager Filipe Gouveia said. U.S. coal shipments to China increased 44 percent and petcoke volumes rose 33 percent.
Dangerous Cargoes Largely Undeclared, IATA
Undeclared dangerous goods accounted for 81 percent of dangerous-goods incidents reported to the International Air Transport Association during the first half of 2025, as growing e-commerce volumes and widespread use of lithium batteries create new risks for air cargo supply chains. IATA recorded 3,465 dangerous-goods incidents from Jan. 1 through June 30, 2025, including 2,798 involving undeclared or hidden dangerous goods.
GEODIS to Buy Deret Logistics’ French Operation
GEODIS has reached an agreement to acquire portions of French logistics provider Deret Group, adding 28 logistics sites and 13 transport agencies as it expands its contract logistics business in France. The proposed transaction includes Deret Logistique and Deret Transporteur, along with subsidiaries Sogipac, Logtex and Deret Services Numériques. GEODIS would also acquire part of Deret SAS’s logistics real estate portfolio. The businesses involved employ 2,400 people, according to GEODIS.
GT USA Expands Port Canaveral Cargo Terminal
GT USA will expand its cargo terminal at Port Canaveral by 10 acres under a new lease agreement designed to increase the Florida port’s capacity for breakbulk, project and general cargo. The agreement, announced Sept. 25, adds the property adjacent to GT USA’s existing 20-acre operation at North Cargo Berth 6, increasing the terminal footprint to 30 acres. The lease can run for up to 25 years and takes effect immediately.
ONE Restructure Expands Asia-Africa Network
Ocean Network Express will consolidate its Asia-Pacific and African regional management effective April 1, 2027, extending a broader restructuring begun this year as the container carrier targets growth and tighter control of its global network. ONE will combine East Asia functions now based in Hong Kong with its South Asia headquarters in Singapore, creating an Asia-Pacific regional headquarters overseeing 15 markets under Louis Tang.
ATS International Services Promotes Thomassen
ATS International Services has named Jay Thomassen vice president and general manager, expanding his responsibilities across the company’s commercial and operational functions. Thomassen previously served as vice president of commercial services and has more than 35 years of international and ocean transportation experience. He joined ATS International as director of sales in 2012 after 21 years with Trailer Bridge.
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