Porti & ambiente — le notizie raccolte

Il ministro dei Trasporti Matteo Salvini in visita nella sede dell'AdSP di Porto Torres.Un incontro tecnico, quello del vicepremier con il presidente dell'Authority Domenico Bagalà, per fare il punto sull'andamento dei lavori in corso e sui progetti."Un momento significativo per valorizzare un percorso di crescita già avviato, fondato su investimenti concreti, innovazione e visione strategica - spiega il numero uno dei porti sardi Domenico Bagalà - Porto Torres si presenta, oggi, come uno scalo in piena trasformazione, pronto a rafforzare il proprio ruolo nel sistema nazionale e mediterraneo, contribuendo allo sviluppo economico e occupazionale del territorio attraverso logistica, energia, crocieristica di qualità, nautica e cantieristica da diporto".Lo stesso Bagalà ha ricordato al ministro che stati completati interventi per oltre 13 milioni di euro per l'accoglienza dei passeggeri, la qualità degli spazi e l'efficienza delle operazioni portuali. A questi risultati si affiancano - questo il resoconto dell'Adsp - i cantieri in corso, per un valore di circa 74 milioni. Tra gli interventi principali, il prolungamento dell'Antemurale di Ponente e la resecazione della banchina Alti Fondali, fondamentali per migliorare accessibilità e sicurezza delle manovre nel bacino.Al passo con la transizione energetica, si aggiungono la realizzazione del cold ironing per l'alimentazione delle navi in sosta in banchina e il progetto "Millepiedi", nato dalla collaborazione con il Parco di Porto Conte per la produzione energia pulita dalle onde.Nel programma operativo triennale 2026 - 2028 il completamento del secondo lotto della Darsena Servizi, che prevede la realizzazione di due ulteriori banchine; il centro servizi per passeggeri e crocieristi nella banchina Alti Fondali; e la creazione della cassa di colmata nel bacino dell'ex pontile secchi Eni, dalla quale prenderà corpo la piattaforma logistica del Nord Ovest della Sardegna. Un processo di crescita che si accompagna a una progressiva evoluzione dello scalo anche sul settore passeggeri e crociere. Emerge con sempre maggiore forza anche il segmento della nautica da diporto, in particolare quello dei maxi e mega yacht. Tra gli interventi già realizzati il travel lift da 650 tonnellate e il relativo bacino di carenaggio per il refitting e la manutenzione. Riproduzione riservata © Copyright ANSA Da non perdere Condividi

Forwarders are warning that the recent recovery in spot rates on the transpacific and Asia-Europe trades could see prices rise even more sharply over the next few weeks. High demand combined with tight capacity is now also allowing carriers to push through peak season surcharges on shipments under long-term contracts, and forwarders said shippers had little option but to pay up if they want freight loaded. “’Pay to play’ is back – the carriers smell blood and are lapping it up like a ravenous Count Dracula at the abattoir on slaughter day,” one forwarder toldThe Loadstar. While this week’s World Container Index (WCI) from Drewry showed relatively modest gains over the previous week, forwarders believe significant further increases are on the way. The WCI’s Shanghai-Rotterdam route rose 3% week on week, to $2,861 per 40ft, while the Shanghai-Genoa increased 4% to $4,253 per 40ft. A key factor behind the recent strong demand is understood to be larger shippers under long-term contracts which saw them protected from the swathe of emergency fuel surcharges introduced after the closure of Hormuz. That protection is set to expire on 1 July, when carriers will set new BAFs for the next quarter – expected to be far higher than current levels. As a result, shippers have tried to pull-forward as many shipments in advance of that as possible, leading to a demand spike in June. “The main reason volumes are increasing massively in June, with a lot of customers trying to pull orders forward, is because the big BCOs, that have long-term deals, won’t have been paying EBS during the last couple of months. But from 1 July, the bunker factor in their contracts is going to go through the roof,” another forwarder said. Today’s Shanghai Containerised Freight Index, which shows rates quoted for the forthcoming week, reflects this, with the Shanghai-North Europe base port leg up 30% over last week, to $2,475 per teu, and up 17% to the Mediterranean. Effectively, forwarders said, the Asia-North Europe market is expected to begin June at around the $4,000 per 40ft (high-cubed) mark, and every indication is that it will continue to rise over the course of the month, given current levels of demand. While several carriers have announced new 1 June FAK rates nearing $5,000 per 40ft on Asia-North Europe, MSC yesterday announced an FAK price of $6,000 per 40ft to North Europe and $6,500 to the West Mediterranean from 15 June. After weeks of questioning whether demand and capacity matched, to support the FAK attempts, forwarders now believe the increases coming down the line could very well stick. “We’re expecting the spot market out of Asia to Europe in the second half of June, even into July, could reach $6,000 or $7,000 [per 40ft]. The signs are that the 15 June FAK will stick – because you cannot get space in the second half of June in the market,” one forwarder toldThe Loadstar. And this will also hit contract shippers that were warned they could face continuing peak season surcharge revisions. On 1 June, CMA CGM will implement a $500 per teu PSS, and on 8 June Hapag-Lloyd will follow suit. “The carriers have also said they will not cap the 1 June PSS, and it will be reviewed every two weeks. I suspect it could go up in mid-June, it could go up again in July… it’s going to go in that direction,” the forwarder added. It is a similar situation on the transpacific, where the recent decision of CMA CGM to pull its Columbus JAX service from South-east Asia to the US east coast means capacity has been cut by over 10,000 teu a week according to Linerlytica, appears to have prompted carriers to take a far more aggressive approach to rate negotiations. Although this week’s WCI saw single-digit gains – its Shanghai-New York leg was up 6%, to $4,597 per 40ft, while Shanghai-Los Angeles increased 3%, to $3,473 per 40ft – US west coast forwarder FreightRight described the last week of May as “as the calm before an impending storm”. “Multiple major carriers have issued aggressive general rate increase (GRI) indications for June – the structural setup for June points toward a brutal, highly compressed freight environment. “Shippers should expect volume numbers to slide as non-essential importers choose to pause and wait out the market spikes until July, or later,” it added. Transpacific trade sources also toldThe Loadstarthat carrier contract offers that had been on the table two weeks ago had largely been withdrawn before forwarders had a chance to file them with the FMC, with new offers tabled that would force them into loss-making territory – although at the moment they see little prospect of rates receding. “Some of the carriers are expecting this issue to continue for the whole of June, the whole of July, and possibly into the end of August,” one said.

Freight rates could spike materially in the coming weeks as the downstream impacts of disruption the world over make their mark, and, once again, it appears carriers will be the beneficiaries of global chaos. Analysing links between freight rates, carrier profits, and the Global Supply Chain Pressure Index, the South African Association of Freight Forwarders’ (SAAF) head of research and development, Jacob van Rensburg, said he was expecting a looming acceleration in rates. He toldThe Loadstarcarrier profitability was shaped by the interaction between freight rates and disruption intensity, rather than by price alone, noting that “rising global supply chain pressure is now pointing to increased upward risk for freight rates”. “The transmission is not automatic, but if this pressure materialises through rerouting, congestion or tighter effective capacity, freight rates could rise materially over the coming weeks,” Mr van Rensburg added. Data he provided toThe Loadstarshowed that, in all but two of the past 22 quarters, carrier profits have risen alongside upticks in disruption, as measured by the Global Supply Chain Pressure Index (GSCPI). Bucking this trend was Q3 24 and Q2 25, with Mr van Rensburg saying that could be explained by the post-Covid normalisation period in which carriers lost power. “The disruption experienced in these quarters was brought about by the onset of the Red Sea Crisis and the Panama Canal draught restrictions, with carriers at a weak point, but since then we have seen carriers slowly gaining power,” he said. “In essence, the GSCPI must increase sufficiently for carriers to gain proper price power and not only at the margin. The power game, as we saw during Covid, translates into exponential increases in rates – not only marginal.” Upticks in the GSCPI also corresponded with elevated freight rate levels, with the second quarters of both 2023 and 2024 proving outliers. Since then, the GSCPI has only climbed, but average rates, according to the Drewry World Container Index (WCI), dropped month on month across all four quarters of 2025, hitting a nadir in the final three months. Mr van Rensburg noted that this was a consequence of the Trump administration’s tariff policy, which provoked a wave of front-loading as shippers looked to get ahead of the introduction of last April’s wave of levies. However, since the end of 2025, the GSCPI and Drewry WCI have fallen back into sync, both trending upwards, with carrier profits – which had been in freefall – appearing to have also levelled out, leaving Dr van Rensburg confident a rate spike is imminent.

DHL, FedEx, and UPS have written to European Union finance ministers calling for a phased approach to the 27-member bloc’s new customs rules for low-value parcels to be introduced this summer. They focus on the abolition of thede minimisrule, the customs exemption currently applied to parcels worth less than €150, which will be replaced by a flat-rate tax of €3 per item from non-EU countries, effective on 1 July. Secondly, a processing fee of €2 is set to be added later in the year, probably in November. The aim of the customs reform is to discourage impulse purchases of very cheap products, notably marketed on Chinese online marketplaces such as Shein, Temu, and AliExpress, particularly in fast-fashion. In the letter, the three integrators – members of industry body the European Express Association (EEA) – say the EU should proceed with the tax, but recommend a deferral of the “more complex and unresolved elements until they are legally certain and operationally viable”. These include new data requirements, among other aspects of the new rules, which according to the express delivery giants, constitute a level of complexity that cannot be feasibly implemented by 1 July. In the letter, Mike Parra, CEO of DHL Express Europe, Wouter Roels, president of FedEx Europe, and Daniel Carrera, president of UPS EMEA, said that “without a stable and workable legal framework”, they anticipated a “real risk” of shipments being held up at EU borders. “Such disruption could affect medical supply availability, delay industrial production, and create bottlenecks across European supply chains – all risks that are particularly significant in the current geopolitical context,” it added. The European Union has yet to respond, at least publicly, to the integrators’ request. When the US suspended itsde minimisexemption for goods under $800 in August 2025, it led to an immediate and significant decline in cross-border ecommerce volumes, while also triggering a shift in freighter capacity from the transpacific to the China-Europe tradelane, as Chinese online marketplaces saw an increase in business from European consumers. For example, according to Rotate, this year to date, freighter traffic from Asia to Europe is 28% higher than a year ago, while transpacific is up just 1%, and global capacity up 4%. Is the China-Europe online trade in for a similar fate? One could perhaps look for clues in France where the authorities brought the introduction of the €2 parcel tax forward to 1 March. By 3 March, customs declarations for small parcels at Paris CDG Airport had fallen 92% as goods were shifted to foreign rivals in Liège, Schiphol, and Frankfurt, parcels for France forwarded by truck. CDG was estimated to have lost about 50 freighter flights in the first week after the tax. Italy, which also brought in the tax early, suffered similar consequences and decided on a temporary postponement of the levy. France’s director-general of Customs, Florian Colas, told the National Assembly’s Economic Affairs Committee this month: “We have gone from approximately 500,000 [small parcel] declarations a day to around 50,000 today.” At a webinar in the spring, Henk Venema, DHL GF’s EVP global airfreight, said: “We are waiting to see what the response is going to be from the market to these new European regulations, because cross-border ecommerce from China and Hong Kong is taking up a large amount of freighter capacity at the moment. “Should it lead to a massive decline in ecommerce volumes going to Europe, a good deal of this freighter capacity would be freed up. But jet fuel prices being what they are today, a lot of the freighters carrying ecommerce goods from China to Europe could well be taken out of the market, because it would not be economical to fly them, especially the older B747-400F models.” However, Mr Venema speculated that these freighters could also end up having a role to play in supporting what he described as “probably the biggest growth engine of air freight overall in 2026 and beyond” – the shipment of “hyperscale AI”. Separately, DHL eCommerce has announced a new exclusive multi-year contract with the United States Postal Service (USPS), with an expected value of well over $10bn, for last-mile parcel delivery services in the US. And FedEx said this week it was investing €46m to expand its Duiven road hub in the Netherlands, boosting palletised freight capacity by more than 50%, as it prepares for continued growth in European parcel and freight volumes. The move underscores expectations that cross-border trade demand will remain strong even as Europe tightens the rules on low-value ecommerce imports.

PSA International-operated Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals (BMCT), the largest box terminal at India’s Nhava Sheva Port (JNPA), is taking the brunt of trade complaints of cargo handling delays and gate congestion. Customs house agents at the port claim while there had been substantial improvement at other JNPA terminals, BMCT paints a picture of lackadaisical efforts to fix the problems. “BMCT remains the single terminal at JNPA where conditions are not improving at the pace seen elsewhere,” the Brihanmumbai Customs Brokers Association (BCBA) said in a trade notice. The bottlenecks cited by BCBA range from long truck waits at the gates, disorderly cargo evacuation methods, and truckers’ unwillingness to go to BMCT due to turnaround concerns. “First-in, first-out discipline has broken down and containers are remaining inside the terminal well beyond acceptable cycle times, with no rational sequence of evacuation,” the group complained. BCBA also said the consequences of this disruption included cargo missing scheduled vessel connections, lines rolling containers and exporters’ inability to meet contractual obligations, like letters of credit terms. “BCBA members cannot be held responsible for delays, detention, demurrage, shut-outs, rollovers, or consequential costs arising from cargo movements through BMCT, as these conditions are entirely beyond their control,” the customs brokers added, The crux of congestion issues at JNPA was the unexpected buildup of transhipment volumes diverted from the Middle East. The added pressure on port yards was compounded by a shortage of truck drivers usually engaged in handling container moves between JNPA terminals and freight stations off the dock. BMCT was a first choice for container lines seeking to make ad-hoc calls for the discharge of Middle East boxes as the terminal had substantial spare capacity, after its recent phase 2 launch. As a result, its transhipment handling hit some 59,000 teu in March and 64,000 teu in April, the largest share of JNPA’s Middle East-linked additional volumes, according to data. But, in a 24 May update, the JNPA authority claimed proactive measures had borne significant fruit, with some sort of normalcy expected by early June. “JNPA, in coordination with the ministry and all stakeholders, remains fully committed to ensuring efficient port operations, minimising logistics disruptions, and safeguarding the interests of exporters, importers, transporters, and the wider trade community,” the authority said. But truck owner groups serving JNPT last week warned they would be compelled to suspend cargo movements if conditions continued to worsen. The stoppage plan appears to have been shelved for now. The JNPA congestion issue had also seen a great deal of finger-pointing between stakeholders over the causes of the slowdowns, ultimately hurting trade interests.

Habib Turki (above) was today confirmed as the new secretary general of the International Road Transport Union (IRU), following a vote at the organisation’s annual general meeting in Geneva. He will succeed Umberto de Pretto on 1 August, joining the IRU from the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), where he developed the Tourism Services Department and led its advocacy at the UN. In 2024, he was named chief development officer of the FIA and negotiated partnerships and agreements with international organisations and governments, while supporting FIA’s expansion in China and across Asia. Prior to that, he served as the IRU’s regional adviser for the Middle East from 2015 to 2018, successfully growing the union’s presence in the region, advocating the accession of Oman, Palestine, Qatar,and Saudi Arabia to the TIR system. “It is an honour to be appointed IRU secretary general and I am delighted to work again with IRU members across the globe,” said Mr Turki. “IRU’s rich history speaks for itself: from reviving war-torn trade links in post-war Europe with the TIR system and advancing road safety globally; to leading the pragmatic, sustainable decarbonisation of our industry. “I am excited to lead the organisation into its next chapter,” he added.

The early peak season will result in high freight rates for Q2 and Q3, but after that, forecasting market conditions will become difficult, according to Yang Ming’s senior management today. During the Taiwanese liner’s AGM, chairman Chuck Tsai Feng-ming said uncertainties arising from the US/Israel-Iran conflict and protectionism would continue to affect the market. GM Kevin Lee added: “The global container shipping market will continue to face multiple challenges such as supply-demand imbalances, geopolitical tensions, and adjustments in economic and trade policies. The latest forecasts from the OECD and IMF indicate that although global economic growth momentum is slowing, overall growth remains moderate. “The shipping market remains highly uncertain due to factors such as continued new ship deliveries, the Red Sea crisis, congestion at major ports in Europe and Asia, regional conflicts, and stricter international environmental regulations.” The OECD projects global economic growth to ease to 2.9% this year, compared with an estimated 3.3% in 2025. Dr Tsai and Mr Lee said Yang Ming’s renewed newbuilding drive aimed to enhance operational resilience, enabling the company to adjust route and fleet configurations according to global cargo flows. Dr Tsai said plans to add to Yang Ming’s orderbook with six 13,000 teu ships were “on track”, after orders for six 8,000 teu and seven 16,000 teu vessels last year. Looking at fleet renewal, net-zero transformation, and responses to changes in the global shipping market, Yang Ming’s shareholders’ meeting approved a cash dividend of NTD 2 per share, balancing shareholder rights and the company’s long-term stable development needs. For Q1 26, Yang Ming booked revenue of $1.21bn, down 15% from Q1 25, reflecting the post-Chinese New Year correction in the container sector. Consequently, net profit declined 81% year on year, to $46.9m.

At first glance, a flatbed and a Conestoga trailer seem to solve the same problem. Both give you open-deck access. Both allow side loading. Both work well with cranes and forklifts. But when cargo cannot be exposed to rain, dust, or road debris, that small structural difference between the two becomes critical. The choice between Conestoga and flatbed shipping matters most when freight needs open access yet cannot tolerate weather exposure.SafeMotorist’s guide to Conestoga trailers describesthat Conestoga equipment is essentially a flatbed-style trailer fitted with a retractable covering system. That framing is useful because it shows what the Conestoga really is: not a different class of trailer, but a flatbed with built-in protection. Flatbeds are simple and flexible. You can load from the side. You can load from the top. You can position oversized freight without worrying about trailer walls or ceilings. For steel beams, construction materials, industrial equipment, and machinery that is weather-resistant, flatbeds are often the most practical solution. They are widely available and easy to schedule. But there is a tradeoff. Everything on a flatbed is exposed unless it is manually tarped. Tarping works, but it depends on execution. If tarps are not secured correctly, wind can loosen them. If seams are not sealed properly, water can get in. And tarping adds labour time during loading and unloading. For weather-sensitive cargo, that margin of error matters. A Conestoga trailer keeps the flatbed structure but adds a rolling tarp system mounted on tracks. When closed, the retractable cover protects the load from environmental exposure. When open, it slides back and restores full open-deck access. That design removes the need for manual tarping while preserving side and top loading flexibility. For freight that cannot sit in standing rain, collect dust, or risk surface damage from debris, this system provides a layer of protection without switching to a fully enclosed dry van. When companies work withIGT Logistics, equipment selection often comes down to this type of risk analysis. If the cargo needs open loading but cannot afford exposure, Conestoga becomes a practical option rather than an upgrade. Weather-sensitive cargo is not always fragile. Sometimes the risk is cosmetic. Painted components, wrapped machinery, treated lumber, or finished steel may survive minor moisture but still arrive in unacceptable condition if exposed. Even short-term rain during transit can affect packaging integrity. Road spray can leave residue. Wind can carry dust into uncovered freight. With a Conestoga system, the retractable cover creates a consistent barrier. The cargo remains protected during highway travel, while loading crews still have full access at pickup and delivery points. For shipments coordinated through IGT Logistics, this balance often reduces claims and delivery disputes. Manual tarping takes time. Drivers may need to climb onto loads to secure covers. That adds labour risk and increases loading duration. A Conestoga system rolls open and closed mechanically along its track. This speeds up the covering process and reduces handling complexity. At job sites with tight schedules or crane windows, time savings matter. It also reduces safety risks tied to climbing and securing tarps manually. Flatbeds still serve an important role, especially for freight that does not require weather protection. But when protection is needed, tarping becomes a recurring operational cost. Flatbeds are often less expensive than Conestoga trailers on a pure rate basis. Availability can also be broader. But if freight damage, surface contamination, or packaging failure is even a moderate concern, the initial savings may disappear quickly. The decision should not focus only on trailer rate. It should include the cost of potential exposure, labour time for tarping, and the risk tolerance of the shipment. Teams working with IGT Logistics often approach this decision by evaluating the full shipment lifecycle, not just the linehaul quote. Flatbeds provide maximum loading flexibility with no built-in weather protection. Conestoga trailers maintain that flexibility while adding a retractable covering system that shields cargo in transit. If freight is durable and exposure is not a concern, a flatbed works well. If the cargo requires side or top access but cannot be left exposed, Conestoga equipment becomes a logical solution. The right choice depends on what you are shipping and what happens if conditions change. When the equipment matches the risk profile of the freight, delivery becomes predictable instead of uncertain.

As highlighted by DeskOne in the past 24 hours… (Click to expand the screen grab above) … ex-Bolloreans leaving Ceva is still the predominant narrative in forwarding – most preferably for them to join MSC’s forwarding arm, Clasquin, which was taken over in 2024. And just as key executives and sales leaders* jump ship (in various instances replaced by shipping guys from CMA CGM), so often that means they bring their volume-hungry teams to the competition. (*All Bolloreans, as revealed in our previous exclusives: ...

In a nutshell: The Board’s unanimous decision clears a procedural hurdle but demands answers on nine critical fronts, from 2-to-1 shipper access to downstream consolidation. For shippers, the real fight is just beginning. The Surface Transportation Board (STB) yesterday did something that manages to be both a milestone and an anticlimax. In a unanimous decision, the regulator accepted Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern’s (NS) revised application to create America’s first transcontinental railroad, and then immediately placed the entire ...