Freight Business Journal North America

The U.S. Department of Transportation and Port of Corpus Christi have signed an agreement to explore small modular reactor technology for maritime applications, making Corpus Christi the second major U.S. port to join the Maritime Administration’s developing nuclear maritime initiative. Under a memorandum of cooperation signed Aug.

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. (“K” Line) has signed agreements with Nihon Shipyard Co. Ltd. for construction of three very large crude carriers designed for Middle East-Asia crude trades. The 311,000-deadweight-ton vessels will be built to Malaccamax dimensions, allowing them to efficiently transit the Strait of Malacca while carrying crude oil between the Middle East and Asian markets. “K” Line said the next-generation vessels will incorporate energy-saving technologies and improved fuel efficiency.

Descartes Systems Group has acquired freight brokerage technology provider Tai Software for about US$100 million, expanding its transportation management capabilities and adding shipment and carrier execution data to its Global Logistics Network. California-based Tai provides an AI-enabled transportation management system for freight brokers covering truckload, less-than-truckload, drayage and cross-border operations.

AAL Shipping has completed a 12,000-freight-ton shipment of heavy power generation equipment from Asia to Houston for a major U.S. natural gas power development. The project cargo movement comprised 195 individual units transported aboard the 31,000-deadweight-ton AAL Kobe, one of AAL Shipping’s A-Class multipurpose heavy-lift vessels.

The Trump administration has extended its Jones Act waiver for another 90 days, continuing to allow foreign-flag vessels to move certain cargoes between U.S. ports as the government seeks to ease energy supply pressures stemming from disruptions in the Middle East. The latest extension took effect Aug. 17 and runs through Nov. 15. It follows an initial 60-day waiver issued March 17 and a subsequent 90-day extension beginning May 18.

Worsening container port congestion is exposing a fundamental disagreement over what is causing it: too little investment in terminal capacity, or an industrywide drive for higher asset utilization that has left the supply chain with too little room for disruption. A.P. Moller-Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc recently pointed to roughly 15 years of lagging terminal investment as container ships face congestion in several major trading regions.

Tanker demand is weakening as disruptions to oil exports from the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Russia reduce seaborne cargo volumes, according to BIMCO’s August Tanker Shipping Market Overview and Outlook. BIMCO forecasts crude tanker demand will fall 10.5 percent to 12.5 percent in 2026 if conditions in the Strait of Hormuz begin gradually normalizing during the fourth quarter. Demand could then rebound 17 percent to 19.5 percent in 2027 as exports recover and depleted oil inventories are rebuilt.

Chiquita Fresh North America and TA Dedicated are marking 20 years of a transportation relationship supporting the movement of bananas from U.S. ports into the grocery distribution network. The partnership represents the inland portion of a highly specialized cold chain in which maintaining temperature, transit times and equipment availability is critical to moving a perishable commodity from producing regions to consumers.

Crowley will launch a new weekly container service connecting Port Houston with Guatemala and Honduras beginning Sept. 10, expanding direct U.S. Gulf connections with Central America. The Gulf-Central America Express Service will connect Houston with Santo Tomás de Castilla, Guatemala, and Puerto Cortés, Honduras, with Thursday departures from Houston. Crowley said the service will handle dry and refrigerated containers carrying fresh produce, apparel, industrial products and consumer goods.

The consolidated PC14–17 facility will handle nearly 40 percent of the Port of Kobe’s foreign-trade containers, according to the carrier. Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, or “K “Line, will begin operations at the Kobe International Container Terminal’s PC14–17 complex on Sept. 1, the Japanese carrier announced Wednesday. The terminal occupies the southern pier of the Port Island Stage 2 area at the Port of Kobe.