IHSA Shippers Association

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IMO 2020 Mandate – Delays and Uncertainty

Carriers are still struggling to provide firm information on how they intend to handle the International Maritime Organization (IMO) mandate to reduce marine pollution effective January 1, 2020. In two months, vessels will be required to have sulfur emission levels less than 0.5%. The carriers have publicly stated that this new mandate will cost the container shipping industry…

Demurrage and Detention

Shippers have been complaining for years that the rules governing demurrage and detention are unfair. Shippers are required to pick up and return ocean containers to the terminal within a specified number of days. Failure to do so will result in fees to the shipper known in the industry as demurrage and detention. Marine terminals and carriers say the potential to be…

Spot Rates Remain Volatile

Ocean container spot rates from Asia to US West Coast ports increased 25.6% for the week ending August 30th. This is welcome news for the carriers who have been battling declining spot rates for much of the peak shipping season. The good news may not last long for the carriers. Industry experts believe this sharp increase in spot rates will quickly fade away unless…

Carriers Expected to Fabricate Strong Peak Season

Analysts are now predicting that the peak shipping period from Asia to the US will be mild. This prediction is in stark contrast to last year’s peak when available space on ships was tough to secure. Many shippers were forced to pay hefty rate premiums to move cargo during their preferred shipping windows. Conventional wisdom would suggest that the prediction of a mild peak…

IMO 2020 Will Impact Multiple Stakeholders

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has developed several mandates to reduce marine pollution. Effective January 1, 2020, container vessels will only be allowed to use fuel with a maximum sulfur content of 0.5%. The current regulation allows for fuel with a sulfur cap of 3.5%. The cost of this new mandate is going to impact multiple stakeholders in the shipping…

Ocean Contract Negotiations Moving Forward

The 2019-20 ocean contract negotiations have officially begun for cargo moving from Asia to the United States. Based on the initial proposals from the ocean carriers, it is clear they are trying to capitalize on last year’s space crisis. Carriers stated earlier this year that shippers should expect to pay higher rates in the 2019-20 ocean contracts. Further, they stated that…

IHSA to Introduce “Core Carrier” Program

The carrier landscape has changed dramatically over the last five years. Carrier consolidation has been a game changer. With fewer entities, the carriers now have a much greater ability to manage capacity in their favor. We believe the carriers will continue to manage capacity for the foreseeable future. To help combat this serious issue, IHSA will be nominating four carriers…

Contract Negotiations Bring Many Questions for Shippers

The 2018 peak season in the Eastbound Transpacific market has thankfully come to an end. Carrier capacity constraints and an unprecedented increase in volume caused rates to skyrocket and created a space crisis that crippled US supply chains. Shippers are hoping that 2019 will offer some stability leading up to the 2019-20 ocean contract negotiations. Unfortunately, the one…

More Capacity Management Expected from the Carriers

Shippers hoping that 2019 will bring some much-needed stability to their rates and supply chains may be disappointed. Carriers have already informed shippers that capacity management will be a major point of emphasis moving into 2019 and 2020. Shippers have been experiencing higher freight costs and disruptions in their supply chains since August 2018. Further cuts in carrier…