FEDEX BEGINS ITS FIRST DIRECT SINGAPORE-US AIR CARGO SERVICE
FedEx Corp. has introduced its first direct flight from Singapore to its regional hub in Anchorage, Alaska. The first direct connection for FedEx from Singapore to the United States is tailored to support shippers of heavier, palletized cargo rather than its express parcel network. The integrated logistics provider said Tuesday it will operate the route six times per week with a Boeing 777 freighter jet from Changi Airport to Anchorage, a major connection point for daily services to cities in the Lower 48. The aerospace, health care, industrial, high-tech and semiconductor industries are expected to be primary users of the new service. The flight improves transit times, allowing shipments picked up in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand on Saturday to arrive in the U.S. a day earlier, on Monday. Businesses shipping from across this dynamic region will enjoy enhanced connectivity when importing and exporting to the U.S.
US PLANS PHASED APPROACH TO PORT FEES FOR CHINESE SHIPS
The United States late Thursday announced a multi-phase scheme for port fees on Chinese-linked shipping based on the size of ships.The reset comes after a wave of opposition during public hearings in March from shippers, exporters and other maritime stakeholders to millions of dollars in fees proposed by the United States Trade Representative. The long-term plan also accommodates what is expected to be a years-long ramping up of domestic shipyard capacity. China produces about 1,700 ships per year compared to around five for the U.S. In the details of the USTR action, fees on Chinese vessel owners and operators for the first 180 days as of April 17 will be set at $0. In the first phase, after 180 days, the charge will be $50 per net ton per U.S. voyage, increasing incrementally over the following years up to $140 by April 17, 2028. The fee will be charged up to five times per year, per vessel. The fees won’t be stacked, but apply per vessel per rotation or string of port calls.For Chinese-built ships the fee is $0 for the first 180 days, then $18 per net ton increasing incrementally to $33 by April 17, 2028. Again, the fee will be charged up to five times per year, per vessel. That fee applies if it’s higher than alternate charges of $120 for each container unloaded, increasing to $250 after three years.
TRANS-PACIFIC BLANK SAILINGS SOAR AS OCEAN SHIPMENTS PLUNGE
SONAR’s Container Atlas data indicates a 20% decline in China order bookings year on year through mid-April, as shippers mull shifts to Vietnam and other manufacturing centers in the region.“Our distributors have been urging us to order, order, order, to get ahead of tariffs,” an independent housewares retailer told FreightWaves. “I told them we have enough inventory as it is but it is starting to feel like they’re taking advantage. For the Asia-North America West Coast route, there has been a notable decrease in scheduled capacity for weeks 16-19 of 2025. Six weeks ago, 1.43 million twenty-foot equivalent units was planned for deployment. However, by week 15, this had dropped to 1.37 million TEUs, representing a 12% reduction, according to a new report by analyst Sea-Intelligence.The Asia-North America East Coast route has experienced an even more pronounced decline. Over a six-week period, scheduled capacity for weeks 16-19 fell from 1.01 million TEUs to 867,000, a substantial 14% decrease. Perhaps the most striking change has been the dramatic increase in blank sailings. Just three weeks ago, only 60,000 TEUs was scheduled to be blanked for weeks 16-19. This figure skyrocketed to 250,000 TEUs within a week as carriers announced numerous blank sailings in response to the tariffs that sent China exports plunging. By week 15, the total blanked capacity for this period had further increased to 367,800 TEUs.
WAN HAI WEBSITE TARGETED BY HACKERS
Taiwan’s Wan Hai Lines saw its website taken offline on Friday, becoming the latest liner targeted by hackers. The world’s 11th largest containerline confirmed the cyberattack in a stock exchange filing but said the incident had no significant impact on operations.The company added that no breach of internal or employee information had occurred. “Our company promptly initiated comprehensive cybersecurity response measures and engaged external cybersecurity firms and experts to assist with the incident. The affected website was immediately isolated to ensure information security, and the matter has been reported to relevant authorities,” Wan Hai said in a release.Most major liners, including MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM and COSCO, had been hit by cyberattacks in recent years. Meanwhile, Wan Hai’s website appears to be back in working order and the company said it would continue to bolster the security checks of its network and information infrastructure.