City state’s plan for a highly automated port with double the existing capacity offers a strategy for easing global supply-chain congestion. “The Singapore port’s performance during the pandemic “hasn’t been without hiccups and delays…” comments Daniel Richards from MSI read more at Bloomberg

Depleted inventories and ecommerce demand will continue to support containerised freight demand. Box shipping is benefiting from high demand and constrained supply. But even if consumer spending patterns revert to type, the sector can expect the new normal of higher rates to remain in place. “We expect healthy trade volumes to persist over the rest of the year. Overall, we’re expecting containerised trade to grow by around 7% this year and that growth story will continue in to 2022.” says MSI Read more in Lloyd’s List

“Exporters and their industry groups are noisier and more active lobbyists on these types of issues,” said Daniel Richards, a senior analyst at Maritime Strategies International Ltd., a shipping consultancy. “When you add to that the importance of the export sector to most Asian economies you can see why these governments have at least made efforts to be seen to be proactive. Read more in Bloomberg

Containership capacity is likely to grow by less than 2% this year. But with volumes falling more than 7% already, the gap between supply and demand will get wider. Read More in Lloyd’s List

Cancelled sailings are projected to significantly recede as the traditional holiday peak shipping season ramps up during the third quarter. Read more in Lloyd’s List

Read more here in TradeWinds

The new market outlook of U.K.-based consultancy Maritime Strategies International (MSI) reads like a Stephen King novel geared toward container-line executives. It’s not exactly feel-good reading for cargo shippers either. Cheap freight rates are only attractive if they don’t trigger another Hanjin Shipping-style bankruptcy. Read more