Spotlight
Alliance changes bolster intra-Asia network
Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM are strengthening their intra-Asia networks this month with a raft of new services and extra port calls ahead of the reshuffle of carrier alliances , including the launch of the Hapag-Lloyd / Maersk Gemini Cooperation partnership on Feb . 1 . Hapag-Lloyd said its new feeders include a Vietnam-Cambodia-China ( VCS ) service that will better connect the two Southeast Asian countries with Gemini ’ s trans-Pacific and Asia networks . CNC Line , the intra-Asia subsidiary of CMA CGM , said it will resume its NKT service connecting North and Southeast Asia that will improve connectivity with the updated Ocean Alliance 2025 east-west network that was unveiled last month . The moves come amid uncertainty about the outlook for the intra-Asia trade , with a Drewry analyst suggesting a rate war could see rates in the region tumble if there is no summer peak season . Data from online benchmarking platform Xeneta and Container Trade Statistics ( CTS ) shows that the intra-Asia peak season has shifted over the last three years , from an early summer to an early fall high to more closely resemble the east-west mainline peak .
horsten Schier / Shutterstock . com
Federal Maritime Commission Drew Halverson / Shutterstock . com
Trump taps Sola as FMC chair
Louis Sola has been elevated from commissioner to chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission after being appointed Jan . 20 by President Donald Trump to lead the US maritime regulator . Sola was nominated to the FMC in November 2018 during Trump ’ s first term . While he has focused more on cruise ships than container ships , he has also shown an interest in maritime fuels , US freedom-of-navigation and export markets . Sola will replace Daniel Maffei as chairman . Maffei , a Democrat , has been at the FMC since 2016 and was appointed chairman in 2021 by President Joe Biden . Just ahead of Trump ’ s election in November , Sola laid out “ America First ” initiatives during an October speech — highlighting the further development of liquefied natural gas ( LNG ) export facilities and the impact on maritime bunkering . He also addressed the role of shipping in supporting US exporters and trade relations between the United States and Latin America . Sola was formerly on the Florida Board of Pilot Commissioners and the chief executive officer of a ship and yacht brokerage . He also had stints in the military and as a financial consultant .
BNSF ’ s Barstow obstacle cleared
BNSF ’ s $ 1.5 billion project to expand its terminal in Barstow is moving ahead after a California Air Resources Board ( CARB ) rescinded a proposed rule that would have required train locomotives operating in the state to produce zero emissions by 2030 . BNSF can now move forward with the project that should be completed in 2027 or 2028 . A US District Court judge last November paused the proposed Jan . 1 implementation of the locomotive emissions rule to determine whether it violated federal pre-emption laws on interstate commerce . The Barstow Intermodal Gateway , or BIG , will be a transloading hub where ocean containers come to be transferred into 53-foot domestic containers to travel inland , ensuring quicker turnarounds of ocean boxes moving back to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach .
Crate & Barrel complains to FMC
Two US shippers , including the parent company of retailer Crate & Barrel , want the Federal Maritime Commission ( FMC ) to investigate ocean carriers for not providing enough vessel space during the pandemic surge , alleging they also extracted surcharges and higher rates for previously agreed-upon container volumes in violation of US shipping law and forced the shippers into the then-costly spot market . The complaints are a further shot across the bow on the
6 Journal of Commerce | February 3 , 2025 www . joc . com