Porti & ambiente — le notizie raccolte

inInternational Shipping News25/07/2026 Why the statutory right falls short Since 2024, shipping companies operating in and out of the EU must buy and surrender emission allowances under the EU ETS. The Directive places that obligation on the “shipping company” — usually the registered owner or the entity holding the ISM safety management certificate — even though that party often has very little say over fuel choice, routing or speed. To compensate, EU law requires Member States to give the shipping company a statutory right to reimbursement from whichever party does control those decisions. The study finds three practical obstacles that undermine this right. First, in multi-layered charter chains, the Directive gives no clear rule for identifying which party must reimburse when responsibility for cargo, route, speed and fuel is split across several charterers. Second, most shipping contracts are governed by English law, and it remains uncertain whether a national reimbursement right can override that choice of law under the EU’s private international law rules (Rome I and Rome II). Third, disputes are typically referred to arbitration in London or Singapore, outside EU court jurisdiction — and English law does not provide for a reimbursement mechanism, whereas English courts can, in practice, block EU proceedings or refuse to recognise EU judgments. Together, the researchers conclude, these gaps leave the statutory pass-through mechanism with little practical value for the vast majority of the market. “The EU ETS gives the impression that shipowners and managers who pay the carbon bill can automatically recover it from the party actually responsible for the ship’s operation or fuel purchase,” said Hannah Mosmans, co-author and PhD researcher at the Department of Law and Markets, Erasmus School of Law, and Erasmus UPT, Erasmus University Rotterdam. “Our research shows that this is largely an illusion once you look at how shipping contracts actually work. For most of the market, effective cost recovery still depends entirely on what is negotiated into the charterparty, not on the statutory right at all.” What this means for contracts across the chain The paper examines the contractual response that has emerged to fill this gap, in particular the standard clauses developed by BIMCO for time charters, voyage charters, contracts of affreightment, ship management agreements and bareboat charters. It finds these clauses to be a useful starting point but incomplete on their own — a limitation BIMCO itself acknowledges. They operate bilaterally, so each contract in a chain needs its own aligned clause; they leave gaps around issues such as price volatility, credit risk, off-hire and demurrage; and, because their use is optional, whether they are included at all depends heavily on the relative bargaining power of owners and charterers. Shipping lines have separately begun passing ETS surcharges to cargo interests through bill of lading and sea waybill terms. The result, the study finds, is uneven protection across the market, with better-resourced parties securing stronger terms than smaller operators. “This is not just an academic point,” said Jolien Kruit, co-author of the study, endowed professor “Future of Maritime Law” at Erasmus School of Law and partner at Van Traa Advocaten. “If the statutory reimbursement right cannot be relied upon, parties throughout the shipping chain need to make sure their own contracts are watertight on carbon cost allocation. Expecting that the statutory mechanism will be sufficient is a risky strategy.” For owners, managers and charterers, the practical implication is straightforward: carbon cost allocation should be checked and negotiated at every link in the charter chain — not assumed to follow automatically from the Directive — and existing BIMCO clauses may need to be supplemented with bespoke drafting on volatility, off-hire and dispute resolution. Nishatabbas Rehmatulla, co-author and Principal Research Fellow and Co-Director of the Shipping and Oceans Research Group said: “By including the reimbursement right, the EU ETS Directive assumes that all emissions are the responsibility of the charterer. However, previous work shows that whilst most of the vessel’s emissions are based on its operational energy efficiency and mostly driven by the charterer, some portion of the emissions also relate to the vessel’s technical energy efficiency, where the investments are mostly by the shipowner. This indicates why there may be differences in private charter parties and statutory rights as not all emissions can be attributed to the charterer, especially when market premiums have been paid by charterers to compensate for more technically efficient ships.” EC’s EU ETS amendment proposal In its recent proposal for amendment of the EU ETS, the European Commission does not show awareness of the statutory reimbursement mechanism’s shortcomings. The EC considers the statutory mechanism a proper instrument to make corrections to the allowance reserve. Given the enforcement difficulties, the question is whether that would have the intended effect. As the commission indicated to regulate these aspects further in delegated acts, it may be a good moment to reconsider the reimbursement mechanism as such. A test case for regulation beyond the EU The authors argue the findings carry lessons well beyond the EU. The UK’s own domestic shipping emissions trading scheme, which took effect on 1 July 2026, does not include a statutory reimbursement right at all, leaving cost allocation entirely to charterparty drafting. And the IMO is separately working towards a global Net Zero Framework which would involve more complex carbon cost allocations due to the different levels of compliance and reward mechanisms. The study concludes that any future market-based measure for shipping — EU, UK, national or global — must be designed with the realities of private international law and the structure of the maritime supply chain in mind from the outset. Otherwise, these regimes risk repeating the same enforcement gap at a larger scale, whilst giving the impression that a contractual provision may not be necessary. Link to SSRN preprint:https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=7078178Source: UCL Energy Institute

Per l'assessore regionale Thom De Luca "la Regione Umbria sulla questione ambientale ternana ha messo in campo un impegno senza precedenti spazzando via anni di negazionismo". "Un piano dei rifiuti che esclude la chiusura del ciclo negli inceneritori di Maratta; oltre un miliardo di euro di accordo di programma Ast, comprensivo dell'indagine Arpa-Università La Sapienza e la nuova rampa scorie per superare definitivamente oltre un secolo di polveri e di metalli pesanti nell'aria; la ripubblicizzazione delle centrali idroelettriche; gli studi epidemiologici e il biomonitoraggio avviati dopo oltre 15 anni; il monitoraggio dei Pfas nelle acque potabili. Fatti che sono tangibili sotto gli occhi di tutti i cittadini umbri e che solo chi ignora o non ha memoria può negare" aggiunge."Invito il sindaco di Terni - dice De Luca in una nota della Regione - ad assumere una postura istituzionale consona al ruolo che ricopre, mettendo da parte propaganda e attacchi personali.Due anni di bugie su ospedale e Usl unica, una dialettica intollerabile per i pubblici uffici mentre la città è nel degrado. Immagine chiara dell'assenza della cura degli spazi comuni, della mancanza di sicurezza e del deterioramento sociale certificato dal primato nazionale nel consumo di eroina. Terni ha bisogno di un sindaco che si occupi della città ed inizi a confrontarsi nel merito delle questioni, smettendo di contrastare ogni iniziativa che porti un vantaggio per i cittadini ternani. Questa è una Giunta regionale d'acciaio, fatta di persone con la schiena dritta, che non si piegano.Glielo abbiamo ampiamente dimostrato. Per questo è a dir poco surreale che lei parli di leggi impugnate dal Governo come un attacco, pensando di denigrare il suo interlocutore.Impugnazioni che sono vanto di orgoglio per aver difeso il territorio ternano ed umbro da predazioni speculative delle multinazionali. Sulle concessioni idroelettriche la Regione Umbria ha fatto scelte politiche chiare, nella piena correttezza e nel pieno esercizio delle proprie competenze istituzionali.Lei può essere parte attiva di questo processo che porterà ricchezza e sviluppo a Terni o può tentare di ostacolarlo senza successo". Riproduzione riservata © Copyright ANSA Da non perdere Condividi

Redazione AnsaMILANO - Luglio 24,2026 - News (ANSA) - MILANO, 24 LUG - Non si placa il dibattito americano sulla crescita numerica dei data center. I recenti dati diffusi da Microsoft e Google evidenziano la difficoltà delle big tech di conciliare l'apertura di nuove infrastrutture con gli impegni di riduzione delle emissioni e di tutela delle risorse naturali.Nel suo ultimo bilancio di sostenibilità, Microsoft ha riportato un aumento del 25% delle emissioni complessive di gas serra rispetto all'anno precedente, raggiungendo circa 20,3 milioni di tonnellate di Co2 equivalente.L'incremento è riconducibile sia alla rapida espansione dei complessi di calcolo per il cloud e l'IA generativa, sia alla revisione dei criteri di approvvigionamento energetico.Microsoft ha infatti smesso di comprare crediti ecologici per finanziare direttamente la costruzione di nuove centrali pulite.In attesa che questi impianti entrino in funzione, i bilanci mostrano le reali emissioni fossili delle reti elettriche utilizzate, aumentate anche dai maggiori consumi legati all'IA.Sul fronte della gestione delle risorse idriche, essenziali per il raffreddamento dei server, Google ha invece dettagliato la propria strategia per diventare "water positive" entro il 2030, con l'obiettivo di restituire alle comunità più acqua di quanta ne consumi. Il piano prevede la realizzazione di 165 interventi in 97 bacini idrografici a rischio, destinati a rigenerare oltre 71 miliardi di litri d'acqua all'anno entro la fine del decennio, un volume pari a più del doppio del consumo registrato nel 2024. Per sostenere questa transizione, l'azienda di Mountain View ha stanziato oltre 500 milioni di dollari per ammodernare le infrastrutture pubbliche di trattamento delle acque reflue. (ANSA).

Il DDL caccia è una delle riforme più pericolose degli ultimi decenni. Il piano è semplice: più aree aperte alla caccia, più specie cacciabili, meno peso alla scienza nelle decisioni. Questa riforma, da sola, rischia di spazzare via oltre 30 anni di protezione della biodiversità in Italia.. Ma il Governo racconta una storia diversa. Ci parla di cacciatori che assumono il ruolo di “bioregolatori”, di vantaggi per la protezione dei raccolti, di riduzione degli attacchi da parte degli animali selvatici. Ma, appunto, è una storia. Smontiamola pezzo per pezzo: ecco le bugie che il Governo ci sta raccontando sul DDL Caccia. Stop DDL Caccia Sostienici per salvare gli animali, la biodiversità e il futuro di tutti! Cosa prevede il DDL Caccia La riforma interviene sulla Legge 157 del 1992, il principale riferimento normativo in Italia per la tutela della fauna selvatica. Tra le modifiche più preoccupanti introdotte dal DDL Caccia ci sono: l’estensione delle aree in cui sarà possibile cacciare; in cui sarà possibile cacciare; l’ampliamento delle specie cacciabili; delle specie cacciabili; un maggiore uso dei richiami vivi (ovvero uccelli usati per attirarne altri durante gli appostamenti); (ovvero uccelli usati per attirarne altri durante gli appostamenti); la possibilità di estendere l’attività venatoria fino a periodi delicati come la migrazione pre riproduttiva degli uccelli; fino a periodi delicati come la migrazione pre riproduttiva degli uccelli; il ridimensionamento del ruolo scientifico dell’ISPRA (l’Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale) nella definizione dei calendari venatori. Tutti cambiamenti che vanno nella direzione opposta rispetto agli obiettivi europei di tutela della biodiversità. Ma cosa ci sta raccontando il Governo pur di far passare questa riforma come ragionevole? Scopriamolo. Le bugie che il Governo racconta sul DDL Caccia 1) È una legge per gli agricoltori (FALSO) La riforma viene presentata come una risposta ai danni causati dalla fauna selvatica all’agricoltura: ma basta leggere il testo per capire che va ben oltre questo obiettivo. Il DDL Caccia, infatti, estende gli strumenti per la caccia di selezione, apre il demanio forestale all’attività venatoria e amplia l’uso dei richiami vivi. Nella versione iniziale del provvedimento tra le specie cacciabili era stato persino inserito lo stambecco, nonostante non rappresenti una minaccia per l’agricoltura. Se l’obiettivo fosse davvero proteggere i campi, il provvedimento si concentrerebbe sulle specie responsabili dei danni e sulle misure più efficaci per prevenirli. Il DDL Caccia, invece, interviene su molti altri aspetti estendendo le possibilità di caccia ben oltre ciò che sarebbe necessario per affrontare il problema dichiarato. Stop DDL Caccia Sostienici per salvare gli animali, la biodiversità e il futuro di tutti! 2) I cacciatori sono “bioregolatori'” (FALSO) Secondo la riforma i cacciatori andrebbero a “regolare” le popolazioni selvatiche a beneficio dei raccolti e della riduzione degli attacchi da parte degli animali selvatici, che dovrebbero così diminuire. Ma la scienza dice il contrario. Secondo l’ISPRA (Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale) gli abbattimenti non riducono le popolazioni di animali selvatici: nel caso dei cinghiali, anzi, li spingono a riprodursi prima e di più. Gli animali aumentano e, di conseguenza, aumenta anche la loro presenza sul territorio: in poche parole più danni e più incidenti, non meno. 3) Uccidere gli animali “dannosi” protegge i raccolti (FALSO) In Francia si abbattono 1,7 milioni di animali l’anno, tra volpi, mustelidi e cinque specie di uccelli considerate dannose per l’agricoltura (cornacchia, corvo comune, gazza, ghiandaia e storno). Eppure, secondo uno studio del Museo di Storia Naturale di Parigi pubblicato nel 2026 su Biological Conservation (Jiguet et al.), nell’arco di 7 anni gli abbattimenti non hanno ridotto di un euro i danni all’agricoltura. Perché? Le popolazioni di animali selvatici si ricompongono in fretta: ucciderle non serve a tenerle sotto controllo. Gli abbattimenti inoltre hanno un costo oneroso (fino a 123 milioni di euro l’anno!) che è completamente sproporzionato visto che i danni causati dagli animali all’agricoltura corrispondono a soli 8,23 milioni. In altre parole, i conti non tornano. Stop DDL Caccia Sostienici per salvare gli animali, la biodiversità e il futuro di tutti! 4) Uccidere il lupo protegge il bestiame (FALSO) Uno studio di 25 anni condotto in Montana, Wyoming e Idaho ha dimostrato il contrario: ogni lupo ucciso aumenta gli attacchi sul gregge vicino, fino al +5,6% per i bovini e il 4% per gli ovini (Wielgus & Peebles, 2014). Il motivo è biologico. Il branco vive di equilibri precisi e quando un lupo viene ucciso, specialmente un riproduttore, quell’equilibrio si rompe e il branco viene meno. Gli esemplari si disperdono ma sono meno capaci di cacciare prede selvatiche e ripiegano sugli animali domestici come il bestiame. 5) La caccia risolve il problema cinghiali (FALSO) L’Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA) lo dice da anni: la braccata modifica la struttura sociale dei cinghiali e li spinge a riprodursi prima e di più. Risultato: più caccia, più cinghiali. E il fatto che la riforma voglia ridimensionare il ruolo scientifico di enti come l’ISPRA, che da tempo evidenziano i limiti della caccia come strumento di controllo della specie, solleva un interrogativo inevitabile: se le evidenze scientifiche indicano che questa strategia non funziona, perché continuare a puntare proprio su quella? Stop DDL Caccia Sostienici per salvare gli animali, la biodiversità e il futuro di tutti! 6) Più caccia significa meno danni da parte degli animali selvatici (FALSO) Un animale braccato non fugge scomparendo nel nulla. Cambia comportamento, spesso spostandosi in aree vicine a case e campi. Estendere la durata della stagione di caccia porterà sempre più animali selvatici a evitare le zone dove incontrano più cacciatori, portandoli in zone meno adatte a loro con meno cibo e riparo. Gli animali saranno più stressati e più fragili. Risultato: meno controllo e più incidenti. 7) È una legge senza effetti collaterali (FALSO) Il piombo delle munizioni lasciate sul terreno uccide circa un milione di uccelli l’anno in Europa. A dirlo è uno studio dell’European Chemicals Agency, secondo cui i più colpiti dall’intossicazione sono i grandi rapaci e gli uccelli acquatici: quest’ultimi, in particolare, ingeriscono i pallini di piombo scambiandoli per i sassolini che ingoiano per favorire la digestione. Ma non solo: il piombo si accumula nel suolo, viene assorbito dalle piante e riduce la resa dei raccolti (Christou et al., 2021; Hui et al., 2011; Saleem et al., 2018). Estendere le aree cacciabili, come previsto dalla riforma, significa esporre sempre più terreni agricoli a un concreto pericolo di contaminazione. Insieme possiamo ancora fermare il DDL Caccia! La direzione del Governo è chiara: farci credere che il DDL Caccia sia efficace e necessario. Ma non è così. Le soluzioni proposte contraddicono la scienza e il buonsenso. Ma soprattutto ignorano le misure che funzionano davvero per proteggere l’agricoltura: recinzioni elettrificate, protezione mirata delle colture, cani da guardiania, corretta gestione dei rifiuti e degli scarti agricoli che attirano gli animali, monitoraggio scientifico e indennizzi rapidi (Fao, 2021; Iucn, 2023). L’ISPRA, durante un’audizione in Parlamento, ha già evidenziato le criticità, le incongruenze e le violazioni al diritto europeo di questa riforma. E noi di Greenpeace ci siamo uniti all’appello rivolto al Ministro dell’Ambiente Pichetto Fratin da 61 associazioni per dire no a questa legge scellerata. Aiutaci a chiedere che si scelga la scienza, non la scorciatoia. Se anche tu credi che la natura debba essere protetta e non smantellata, sostieni oggi il nostro lavoro: insieme potremo continuare a fare pressione sul Parlamento per bloccare questa riforma e chiedere una tutela reale della biodiversità! Stop DDL Caccia Sostienici per salvare gli animali, la biodiversità e il futuro di tutti!

German shipowner exercises options for 7,900 dwt chemical tankers at China Merchants’ yard July 24, 2026 Hamburg-based shipowner John T. Essberger has activated a pair of vessel options under its 2+2+2 newbuilding contract signed with China Merchants Industry Yangzhou Dingheng in December 2025, adding two more 7,900 dwtchemical tankersto the orderbook. The firm order for this vessel series now stands at four units, with an additional two vessel options still reserved at the shipyard. These tankers adopt duplex stainless steel cargo tanks and comply with Ice Class 1A standards to serve European coastal chemical shipping routes. Each vessel measures 119.9 metres in overall length, 18 metres in beam, with a maximum draught of 6.85 metres and a total cargo volume of 8,950 cubic metres. The lead vessel of the series is set for delivery in August 2028. This latest option exercise lifts John T. Essberger’s total chemical tanker newbuilding portfolio to eight vessels: four 7,900 dwt units at Yangzhou Dingheng and four 13,800 dwt tankers under construction at Nantong Rainbow Offshore & Engineering Equipment. All eight vessels will be delivered sequentially from mid-2027 to September 2029. Related:Weekly tanker and dry bulk time charter rates - 22 July Founded in Hamburg in 1924, privately held John T. Essberger operates chemical tankers, dry bulk vessels and ship management services. Its chemical tanker fleet is run via E&S Tankers, a 2021 joint venture with Stolt Tankers that operates 46 stainless steel parcel tankers across the Baltic, Mediterranean and Northwest Europe. Read more about: Katherine Si China Correspondent China-based Katherine Si has worked in the maritime industry since 2008 is well-connected with local industry players including Chinese owners and yards. Having majored in English Katherine started at news portal ShippingChina.com where she rose to become a News Editor. In 2008 she moved to work with Seatrade and has since held numerous positions including China correspondent for Seatrade Maritime Review magazine. With extensive experience in writing, research and social media promotion, Katherine focuses on the shipping and transport sectors.

TheIMO LCA framework, which refers to the IMO framework on life cycle greenhouse gas intensity of marine fuels, includes the development of guidelines on requirements and procedures for recognition of Sustainable Fuel Certification Schemes (SFCS Guidelines) to ensure traceability of fuel sustainability characteristics across the entire fuel supply chain. One of the core principles of the draft guidelines is to implement a rigorous and structured system for assessing fuels' well-to-tank (WtT) GHG emissions, incorporating traceability and chain of custody mechanisms to ensure transparency and avoid double counting.At the request ofMEPC 84, the Secretariat organized an Expert Workshop (15 July) on chain of custody models for fuel supply traceability with the aim of enhancing the understanding of these models (such as physical segregation, mass balance or book and claim) and how these could be integrated into the IMO LCA framework. The LCA framework is a key component of future IMO GHG reduction measures.The workshop provided an opportunity to better understand experiences from chain of custody models in other sectors, which IMO could benefit from in its further work, notably in the context of sustainable marine fuel certification. Experts emphasized the vast experience already gained in using mass balance and the importance of alignment among frameworks. Information and views expressed in the workshop are expected to help further develop the LCA Guidelines and draft SFCS Guidelines.The workshop was held at IMO HQ and in hybrid mode and was moderated by Mr. Sveinung Oftedal, Chair of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships. A total of 211 participants attended the workshop. TheIMO LCA framework, which refers to the IMO framework on life cycle greenhouse gas intensity of marine fuels, includes the development of guidelines on requirements and procedures for recognition of Sustainable Fuel Certification Schemes (SFCS Guidelines) to ensure traceability of fuel sustainability characteristics across the entire fuel supply chain. One of the core principles of the draft guidelines is to implement a rigorous and structured system for assessing fuels' well-to-tank (WtT) GHG emissions, incorporating traceability and chain of custody mechanisms to ensure transparency and avoid double counting. At the request ofMEPC 84, the Secretariat organized an Expert Workshop (15 July) on chain of custody models for fuel supply traceability with the aim of enhancing the understanding of these models (such as physical segregation, mass balance or book and claim) and how these could be integrated into the IMO LCA framework. The LCA framework is a key component of future IMO GHG reduction measures. The workshop provided an opportunity to better understand experiences from chain of custody models in other sectors, which IMO could benefit from in its further work, notably in the context of sustainable marine fuel certification. Experts emphasized the vast experience already gained in using mass balance and the importance of alignment among frameworks. Information and views expressed in the workshop are expected to help further develop the LCA Guidelines and draft SFCS Guidelines. The workshop was held at IMO HQ and in hybrid mode and was moderated by Mr. Sveinung Oftedal, Chair of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships. A total of 211 participants attended the workshop.

Container spot freight rates on the main east-west trades all declined over the past week, the surest sign yet that this year’s peak season is past its apex – at least in terms of pricing. Drewry’s World Container Index (WCI) recorded spot rate declines in the headhaul directions across all three of its main east-west trades. Source: Drewry The WCI’s Shanghai-Rotterdam leg dropped 1% week on week, to finish at $4,824 per 40ft, while the Shanghai-Genoa leg saw spot rates decline 5% over the previous week, to end at $5,988 per 40ft. Forwarders on the trades expect further falls over the coming weeks, with carriers already beginning to offer discounts on spot shipments out of Asia for the remainder of July and into August. However, this is largely with the caveat that the declines are likely to be gentle, rather than a precipitous price crash. “While there are rate reductions, they’re still at a steady pace, with carriers continuing to control allocation agreements – albeit with some flexibility,” one forwarder toldThe Loadstartoday. Today’s Shanghai Containerised Freight Index (SCFI) – which records rates quoted for the forthcoming week and, as such, can indicate the behaviour of the following week’s WCI (as it did last week) – supports this view, showing spot rates to North Europe and the Mediterranean down 3%. One factor that may have prolonged this year’s peak was the “roll pools” that built up in the China when demand peaked around a month ago, but they appear to have been cleared quicker than many forwarders feared, although loading operations in some Chinese ports were recently affected by Typhoon Bavi. “There are still a few issues in China main ports which vessels are omitting, although I am hearing carriers’ roll pools are reducing and nearly cleared,” the forwarder added. Meanwhile, Drewry said carriers had already begun to respond to rate declines with new capacity management. According to Drewry’s Container Capacity Insight, four blanked sailings are scheduled on the Asia–Europe trade route next week, two more than last week, reflecting an increase in capacity available in the market. With easing demand and increased capacity, Drewry expects rates to decrease slightly next week. It was a similar picture on the transpacific, where the Shanghai-Los Angeles leg decreased 6%, to $5,878 per 40ft, while the Shanghai-New York route was registered is first decline since the end of April and dropped 4% week on week, to $7,598 per 40ft. Meanwhile, today’s SCFI shows its Shanghai-US west coast base port route down 3%, and down 2% to the US east coast, indicating further falls could be on their way next week. Linerlytica said earlier this week: “Transpacific spot rates to the US west coast are easing as additional extra loader capacity has been added, but rates to the east coast are holding up better, with limited new capacity additions.” US west coast forwarder Freight Right noted that some carriers had offered discounts this week, at around $5,000 per 40ft into the west coast, although “these represent specific carrier promotions rather than a market-wide standard”. “Carriers recognised that peak-level rates, such as $8,000 per 40ft, were unsustainable long-term, and proactively lowered prices to stimulate volume and maintain vessel utilisation,” it added. “Urgent demand has cooled significantly as shippers that needed to move peak-season goods ahead of deadlines have already done so, leading to lower overall volume.” The one question remaining is what impact the new tariff levels announced by the White House last night will have on demand. “Clarity on impending US tariff policy will be the primary driver over the next one-to-two weeks – a stringent tariff rollout could induce a secondary rush of bookings, whereas mild or delayed updates may prolong the current lull in volume,” Freight Right said. This could also hit the transatlantic trade, which this week also saw another week of gentle declines, with the WCI’s Rotterdam-New York leg registering in its third week of falls, ending at $2,635 per 40ft, 1% down on the week before.

Air cargo carriers are facing an increasingly challenging market, with spot rates beginning to cool, but amid surging fuel prices, geopolitical disruption, and selective capacity deployment. The latest Baltic Air Freight Index fell 3.1% in the week to 20 July, led by weaker outbound pricing from Asia and Europe. Hong Kong outbound recorded the steepest decline, down 6.3% week on week, while Frankfurt fell 5.2%, Shanghai slipped 1.1%, and Singapore eased 0.6%. Nevertheless, the index is still 17% higher than a year ago overall, with Shanghai up 23.9%, Chicago +29.7% and Singapore +29.8%, suggesting the market is cooling from the exceptionally strong first half, rather than entering a widespread downturn. TAC Index lane data to mid-July shows softer pricing across many of the key Asia-Europe and Asia-US tradelanes. China-Europe rates fell 5.8% week on week, China-US slipped 3.9%, Hong Kong-Europe declined 4.8%, and Hong Kong-US eased 3.6%. Vietnam recorded some of the sharpest falls, with rates to Europe down 8.8% and to the US down 13.3%. But not every market is moving in the same direction. India continues to outperform, with Europe-bound rates broadly unchanged while India-US rose 6.5%. Europe-US also bucked the wider trend, rising 7.1% week on week, while Europe-UAE edged higher and remains almost double its level of a year ago, as geopolitics distorts parts of the market. Capacity data paints an equally mixed picture. According to Rotate, global freighter capacity increased just 1% week on week to 23 July, suggesting airlines are becoming increasingly selective about where to deploy it. Some of the sharpest reductions were on Middle East-linked routes, including Hong Kong-Dubai, Dubai-Liège, Hong Kong-Bahrain, and Bahrain-Liège, reflecting continuing regional instability. Forwarder Forto said: “Despite increased global capacity, available cargo space continued to vary considerably by route. Airport bottlenecks and airspace restrictions, resulting from tensions in the Middle East, limited capacity on some routes, forcing airlines to reroute services and reallocate aircraft.” Christopher Braun, Forto’s director freight, added:“The modest increase in global capacity should not obscure the fact that cargo space remains very unevenly distributed. “For shippers, the global average is less important than whether sufficient capacity with the required service level is available on the specific tradelane they need, at the right time. Early bookings and flexible routing remain the best protection against capacity shortages and sudden price spikes.” Airlines are shifting capacity: Etihad Cargo this week announced a second weekly freighter service to Paris Charles de Gaulle, citing continued demand for pharmaceuticals, perishables, and specialist cargo, while Cathay Pacific postponed the planned resumption of its Riyadh freighter service, as the Iran crisis deepens. Chinese airlines were among the week’s biggest capacity gainers, with China Airlines, EVA Air, China Cargo Airlines, and SF Airlines all increasing freighter activity, while Europe and North America also recorded modest gains. At the same time, airlines are facing renewed cost pressures. Cathay Pacific announced higher cargo fuel surcharges from 1 August after jet fuel prices surged. The latestIATA jet fuel monitor, covering the week ending 17 July, showed the global average jet fuel price jumped 17.6% week on week, to $149.40 per barrel. Despite short-term headwinds, the annual Farnborough International Airshow demonstrated continued confidence in the longer-term outlook. MSC Air Cargo placed an order for five 777-8 freighters, while Alaska Airlines confirmed plans to effectively double its dedicated freighter fleet capacity next year with four additional 737-800 converted freighters. Elsewhere, DSV expanded its dedicated air network with a new scheduled Rockford-Incheon freighter service, with Chennai due to follow later this year. In Latin America, Azul announced four more A321 passenger-to-freighter conversions to expand its regional services, while UAE-based SolitAir secured UK regulatory approval as it prepares to grow internationally. The week’s developments suggest an industry balancing competing forces. Spot rates are easing from elevated levels on some tradelanes, fuel costs are rising again, and airlines are redeploying capacity as geopolitical tensions continue to influence network planning. But carriers are still ordering freighters, opening routes, and investing in long-term growth, suggesting that demand for air cargo will remain strong, despite the increasingly volatile operating environment.

"Dobbiamo guardare al futuro con sguardo positivo, se ci fermiamo a guardare al presente, il nostro Paese non va verso il futuro". Lo ha detto il viceministro delle infrastrutture e dei trasporti Edoardo Rixi intervenendo alla inaugurazione di rFactory, sottolineando che "la vera sfida è migliorare l'ambiente consentendo di fare ricchezza"."Il nostro è un paese diversamente marittimo", ha proseguito Rixi riferendosi alle attività marittime in genere, passando poi a uno dei temi principali del suo discorso: i giovani. Il fatto che "decidano di rischiare per una loro passione è una cosa bellissima", dunque nella ex start up di Monfalcone ora divenuta vera azienda, "chi ha perso la voglia di sognare trova un buon esempio". Riproduzione riservata © Copyright ANSA Da non perdere Condividi

China’s revised Maritime Code may have been in force since 1 May, but its implications are only now beginning to sink in for carriers and freight forwarders. Indeed, FIATA has warned its members to review contracts, operational processes, and liability exposure. The first comprehensive overhaul ofChina’s maritime legislationin more than 30 years introduced mandatory legal provisions for international sea cargo contracts involving a Chinese load or discharge port, regardless of any foreign governing law clause. One industry source toldThe Loadstarthe operational consequences could prove significant, adding: “I think some legal departments will be busy in the headquarters of big carriers and NVOCCs.” Among the most contentious changes is a narrowing of the traditional fire defence. Under the revised code, carriers can only rely on the exemption where a fire occurs on the vessel, potentially excluding incidents at terminals, container yards, or inland transport facilities. The source believes the change is closely linked to the surge in exports of Chinese electric vehicles and lithium batteries, which has heightened industry concerns over fire risks. Another change likely to create operational challenges concerns cargo carried on deck. Carriers now have to specify, on the bill of lading, if cargo is stowed on deck rather than below, or could lose important legal protection. In practice, the requirement could demand major changes to carriers’ documentation processes. “It will not be easy at all for a carrier or an NVOCC to discriminate, when issuing bills of lading, between containers stowed under deck and those stowed on deck,” the source said. “The data process between port agencies and stevedores doesn’t work this way. “It looks like a small detail, but internally it’s a huge job in terms of processes for carriers – if they decide to comply.” FIATA meanwhile highlighted significant implications for non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs) issuing their own FIATA multimodal bills of lading. Depending on the role they assume, under the code, forwarders may be regarded as shippers or multimodal transport operators, exposing them to additional liabilities for unclaimed cargo, liens, and claims. FIATA advised forwarders to clearly define their contractual role, review standard terms, and preserve evidence identifying where loss or damage occurs during multimodal transport. China’s updated code also extends the period before unclaimed cargo may be auctioned. Where goods remain unclaimed for 60 days after vessel arrival, carriers may apply to the court for sale, compared with much shorter commercial times often seen elsewhere. According toThe Loadstar‘s source, that provision could be welcomed by many exporters. “The 60-day acceptable delay may please a lot of non-Chinese shippers that are more used to a three-month standard,” the source said, andargued that, overall, the revised legislation offered several advantages from the cargo owner’s perspective. “Globally, it’s quite a ‘sexy’ offer from the shipper’s side, at the end of the day,” the source said. “It is not only a pure common carrier story, but also an NVOCC story under FIATA multimodal bills of lading, when the NVO is acting as a shipper – and this is a very common practice indeed,” the source warned.

East-west tradelanes saw some capacity injected over the past two weeks as several large containerships were delivered. This week, CMA CGM took delivery of the 24,212 teuCMA CGM Pantheonfrom Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, the second of a series of ten Jacques Saade-class LNG-powered vessels commissioned in mid-2023 – each has 1,600 reefer plugs. Alphaliner said thePantheonwould join the French line’s FAL1 (branded NEU4 by other Ocean Alliance members) Asia-Europe service, operated with a mixed fleet of 21,000-24,000 teu ships and 10 of around 17,000 teu. And fellow Ocean member Evergreen this week took delivery of the 16,556 teuEver Evenfrom Samsung Heavy Industries, the sixth of 16 methanol dual-fuelled ships ordered from the South Korean shipbuilder in mid-2023. Ever Evenenters service on the alliance’s Asia-Europe NEU7 service, which Evergreen markets as the CES, replacing the 11,800 teuEver Fit. The service deploys a mixed fleet of 20,000 teu ships, with two of 14,000 and 15,000 teu. Last week, shipowner Danaos took delivery of the 8,258 teuExpress Santorinifrom Yangzijiang, the first of seven ships contracted for long-term charter to Hapag-Lloyd, which during the peak season for Asia-Europe shipping, will first deploy it on the Gemini Cooperation’s AE1/NE2 service, before reassigning the vessel to the transatlantic TA2/AL3 route. George Economou’s TMS group this week took delivery of the 7,900 teuAgate, the first of four ships ordered at HJ Shipbuilding for long-term charter to Zim for intra-Asia ad hoc sailings. However the Israeli carrier will phase the ship into its Central China Xpress (ZX2) transpacific loop by the end of the month. Last week, Imabari Shipbuilding delivered the 13,932 teuONE Summit, the 11th of 15 sister ships commissioned by Japanese-owned, Singapore-based ONE for its Asia-US East Coast EC3 loop, operated with Premier Alliance partners Yang Ming and HMM. Finally, Taiwanese operator Wan Hai took delivery of 8,710 teuWan Hai 903from Hyundai Samho last week. The third of four ships ordered at the South Korean shipbuilder in 2024, it will go to Wan Hai’s standalone Far East-Red Sea-East Mediterranean service.