Porti & ambiente — le notizie raccolte

In this episode ofThe Loadstar Podcast News in Brief, we bring you the latest developments shaping global supply chains, from rising tensions in the Middle East to renewed controversy over ocean freight pricing – and the key takeaways from TIACA’s Executive Summit in Warsaw last week. First,The Loadstarmanaging editor Gavin van Marle joins us for an update on the container shipping market, that examines growing criticism from shippers over carrier pricing practices, as accusations of opportunistic rate increases and “price gouging” resurface amid tightening capacity and market uncertainty. We also take a look at where ocean freight rates are heading and explore the worsening port congestion affecting both China and Europe. Later in the episode, we turn our attention to air cargo. TIACA director general Glyn Hughes joins us to recap the major talking points from TIACA’s Executive Summit and share the findings of the association’s latest sustainability survey. We discuss the industry’s progress on environmental goals, the challenges that remain, and the key trends shaping the future of air freight. All that and more in this week’s episode! Watch the episode on YouTube and subscribe so you never miss an episode! Click here to receive an email notification every time we release a podcast.

Il Tribunale di Trani ha disposto il commissariamento giudiziale del consorzio Asi (Area di sviluppo industriale) di Bari e della società partecipata Asi Spa. Il provvedimento del gip Lucia Altamura, eseguito dalla capitaneria di porto, accoglie la richiesta del pm Marco Gambardella della Procura di Trani nell'ambito dell'inchiesta denominata Ground water (Acque sotterranee), che lo scorso 12 maggio ha portato alla iscrizione nel registro degli indagati di 44 persone fisiche e 28 giuridiche, con le accuse, a vario titolo contestate, di disastro ambientale colposo e scarico illecito di reflui industriali.Il commissariamento arriva dopo le dimissioni del presidente del CdA del Consorzio e di quello della Spa nonché di gran parte dei consiglieri di amministrazione dei due enti e si aggiunge agli ulteriori 22 provvedimenti cautelari eseguiti nelle scorse settimane che hanno riguardato sequestri e amministrazioni giudiziarie delle aziende coinvolte. Il valore dei due enti commissariati è valutato in 100 milioni di euro.Le indagini hanno accertato che il sottosuolo dell'area industriale di Molfetta (Bari) sarebbe impregnato di arsenico, zinco, cadmio, nichel. Il presunto disastro ambientale sarebbe stato realizzato con l'utilizzo di pozzi disperdenti non autorizzati, che drenavano gli scarichi direttamente nella falda. Si sarebbe così "determinato l'inquinamento delle acque di falda - spiegano gli inquirenti - a causa degli sversamenti delle acque meteoriche di dilavamento e delle acque reflue industriali che il consorzio vi immetteva direttamente e senza alcuna preventiva depurazione".Tra gli indagati ci sono anche dirigenti e funzionari del consorzio per l'Area di sviluppo industriale (Asi) di Bari, del settore Ambiente della Città metropolitana di Bari e del Comune di Molfetta, oltre ai titolari di imprese con sedi legali a Molfetta e in altre regioni italiane. Riproduzione riservata © Copyright ANSA Da non perdere Condividi

Peak season is now fully under way, after a week in which spot rates on the transpacific and Asia-Europe trades all posted hefty increases. With pressure rising over the past couple of weeks as demand strengthened against tightish capacity, carriers were handed an opportunity to push through a series of FAK (freight all kinds) levels for the spot market, as well as new peak season surcharges for contracted shippers. Implemented on 1 June, these increases had a material effect on spot rate indices this week, with the Shanghai-Rotterdam leg on Drewry’s World Container Index (WCI) seeing a 25% week-on-week gain, to finish at $3,579 per 40ft, while the Shanghai-Genoa route was up 20% on the previous week, to $5,089 per 40ft. As previously reported byThe Loadstar, part of June’s demand surge is due to contracted shippers pulling forward shipments to avoid the 1 July publication of carrier’s third-quarter bunker adjustment factors (BAFs), which are expected to show severe increases due to escalating fuel costs promoted by the closure of the Hormuz Strait. One major European forwarder toldThe Loadstaranother factor was the elongated transit times that are now the norm on the Asia-Europe trades. “We have seen a noticeable uplift in demand following discussions with several customers whose volumes have increased earlier than expected; this is effectively bringing peak season demand forward, driven largely by poor schedule reliability, with customers preferring to receive stock early rather than risk late arrival,” he explained. However, he added that while shippers and forwarders may be shocked by this week’s pricing spike, further rises this month may be more modest. “Our expectation for the second half of June is an increase of approximately $500 per teu, compared with the first half – at this stage, I do not anticipate that most carriers will push beyond this level in a single adjustment. “While we have not seen allocation reductions, there have been some rollovers, and June space is now effectively full. We are still able to secure space for the occasional container, but availability is otherwise extremely limited,” he said. That would broadly chime with the further hikes so far announced by carriers, with Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk, for example, introducing further Asia-Europe PSSs on 8 and 10 June, ranging from $300 to $500 per teu. Meanwhile, today’s Shanghai Containerised Freight Index (SCFI), which records rates quoted for the forthcoming week, and as such can indicate the direction of the following week’s WCI (as it did last week), recorded a 4% gain on the Shanghai-North Europe leg and just 1.5% on Shanghai-Mediterranean. There were even stronger gains on the transpacific, where the Shanghai-Los Angeles leg rose 31% week on week, to finish at $4,565 per 40ft, while the Shanghai-New York route was up 20%, to $5,505 per 40ft. Since Chinese New Year, prices on the trade had been maintained by strict carrier capacity management, but now there appears to be new demand drivers, according to Drewry. “Demand is being supported by shippers bringing forward bookings ahead of potential US tariff changes expected in July and additional cargo demand linked to the FIFA World Cup,” the analyst said. “Retailers are also replenishing inventories earlier than normal in preparation for major sales events, including Amazon Prime Day and TikTok’s mid-year promotions in June and July. “Carriers successfully implemented PSSs on transpacific eastbound trade routes this month. With peak season now under way and seasonal demand strengthening, Drewry expects further upwards pressure on rates in the coming weeks,” it added. However, by far the most eye-watering PSS announced so far has been from CMA CGM, which is pushing for a $2,600 per 40ft hike from 1 July on the East Mediterranean-North America East Coast transatlantic trade. It has also announced a rate restoration initiative for 2 July, of $600 per 40ft, on North Europe-North America shipments. This week’s Rotterdam-New York rate on the WCI was $2,560 per 40ft, up 5% on the week before.

Feeder ships continue to dominate newbuilding orders for containerships, driven by Asian players. During the Posidonia event in Greece this week, Greek owner Venergy Maritime’s container shipping arm, OceanV Maritime, added to its orderbook with two 1,900 teu ships from CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding, with options for another two. OceanV, set up in 2025, ordered its first two 1,900 teu vessels from Wenchong in December, with options for two more exercised in February, and in April two more similar vessels were ordered. Malaysian feeder operator and tonnage provider MTT Shipping and Logistics, has made good on its pledge to use part of its$165m IPO proceedsfor newbuildings. It ordered two 3,300 teu ships from Wuhu Shipyard, costing nearly $40m each, to be delivered in 2029. These newbuildings will be the largest in MTT’s fleet. Ningbo Ocean Shipping (NBOSCO) said on Sunday it had ordered four 1,900 teu ships at Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group, with options for another two. Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Group’s liner shipping unit approved the investment in March, saying it had budgeted $251.28m for the order. Chinese tonnage provider Baozhou Shipping, which was launched during the pandemic-induced boom, has ordered its first newbuildings, two 2,700 teu ships, with options for two more, from Chinese shipbuilders Yangfan Group and Zhejiang Tenglong. Baozhou commenced operations after acquiring second-hand ships, and today owns the 4,250 teuEverlasting Grace(built 2003) and has 10 newbuildings on order, including six at 1,956 teu, which will also be built by Zhejiang Tenglong. MB Shipbrokers said the latest orders proved that container newbuilding activity was being driven by Asian owners and operators this year. The Danish brokerage added: “However we do see growing interest from European buyers, particularly in the mid-size segment.” On the car-carrier front, Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Maritime has reportedly commissioned a pair of LNG dual-fuelled 7,000-ceu vessels at CIMC Raffles, which has built 10 PCTCs for the UK-based company. Priced around $90m, the ships would be delivered in 2028. Zodiac, which has chartered some car-carriers to Chinese carmakers BYD and Geely, is banking on expected growth in Chinese electric vehicle exports. In addition, Japanese shipping group K Line has commissioned four 1,380-ceu LNG dual-fuelled PCTCs at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing) for its European subsidiary, K Line European Sea Highway Services. The ships are designed for intra-Europe shipping to comply with size restrictions at some European ports.