SOUTH CAROLINA PORTS SEE UPSWING IN CARGO VOLUMES, STRENGTHENING SOUTHEAST MARKET
South Carolina’s ports have witnessed an upswing in cargo volumes during the month of April. During April, SC Ports successfully moved 214,101 TEUs and 119,572 pier containers, encompassing containers of all sizes. While these figures represent a 19% decline compared to the previous year, which witnessed an unprecedented import boom, there was an encouraging month-over month increase of 11% in cargo volumes. SC Ports’ inland ports, located in Greer and Dillon, proved to be vital assets as they served as hubs for rail transportation. In April alone, the combined rail moves at these ports amounted to 17,177, indicating a notable year-over-year increase of almost 15%. Notably, Dillon achieved a new record for April with 3,752 rail moves, further highlighting the growing importance of these rail-served inland ports. With its recent cargo volume upswing and ongoing investments in infrastructure, South Carolina Ports’ trajectory bodes well for the state’s economy, attracting more businesses and boosting trade in the Southeast region.
NEW UP INTERMODAL SERVICE FROM HOUSTON TO PROVIDE WEST COAST REACH
Union Pacific Railroad Tuesday said it will begin offering intermodal service directly from the Port of Houston on June 1, broadening the number of discretionary cargo markets Houston can reach, including those close to ports on the US West Coast.It will also launch international container service from Houston’s Barbours Cut marine terminal to five of its intermodal ramps across the western US: Denver, Salt Lake City, Oakland, Los Angeles and El Paso. The railroad did not say how frequently it will run trains from Barbours Cut to those destinations.
CMA CGM ATTEMPTS PEAK SEASON SURCHARGE FOR INDIA-US TRADE
Indian shippers have begun to see peak season surcharge notices for bookings to the US on top of the general rate increase (GRI) action already in force. CMA CGM will implement surcharges of $800 per 20-foot container, $1,000 per 40-foot container, and $1,200 per 45-foot container for all types of shipments from India to the East and Gulf coasts from June 17. The French liner, in a customer advisory, noted that the planned levy ties in with its “continued efforts to provide customers with reliable and efficient services.”
CPKC ADDS NEW REEFER CONTAINERS TO MEXICO-US SERVICE
Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) will add 1,000 new temperature-controlled intermodal containers into its Mexico network to support a recently launched daily train from central Mexico to Chicago, hoping to capture some business now traveling across the border on trucks. The containers, which will double CPKC’s reefer fleet, will be used to support fresh and frozen produce, baked goods, candy, and other food products from Mexico to the US, and beef, chicken, and pork from the US to Mexico. This expansion equipment gives more customers the solution they need to convert to rail.
US TRUCKLOAD MARKET ‘BOUNCING’ ALONG PRICING BOTTOM: ANALYSTS
After plummeting for more than a year, a bottom to the US truckload spot market is emerging, although its exact contours are hard to trace. Spot dry van refrigerated and flatbed rates were all rising on a week-to-week basis in late May, but that doesn’t mean the spot market has reached an inflection point.
