Ocean carriers are setting on a rate restoration programme for the westbound trade lane by increasing general rate increases (GRI) from US$600 to $900/TEU to alleviate depressed volumes and rates. The Asia-Europe trade lane saw decreased container traffic drop 0.5 per cent in the final quarter with a quarter-on-quarter basis recording declines of 4.2 per cent in second quarter and 3.7 per cent in the third quarter. The deepest decline…

Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd has launched an unusual rotation that gives US Pacific north west shippers all-water weekly access to European ports via Panama. After Hamburg Sud announced an end to its Caribbean-Europe CAMS service in December, it provided ships on Hapag-Lloyd’s MPS service, which rotates through Cartagena, Manzanillo (Mexico), Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, Oakland, Los Angeles, Manzanillo (Mexico), Manzanillo (Panama), Cartagena, Caucedo, Tangiers, Valencia, Cagliari, Livorno, Genoa, Marseilles-Fos, Barcelona,…

Dachser says it has been awarded a Certificate of Recognition by Lufthansa, as its global partner for 2012. A statement from the logistics provider said: “This augurs well for Dachser Group of offices in their quest to continue to drive their global airfreight business.” The accolade was presented simultaneously by the airline to Dachser offices worldwide at the end of last month.

Danish shipping giant Maersk Line will drop its around Africa MEW1 loop on February 19, which links the west Mediterranean, West Africa, South Africa and the Middle East. This means there will be no service from Maersk between Dubai and West Africa outside its ME1 and Rumba loops that connect from Algeciras westbound to Dubai for a longer duration of a week, according to ComPair Data. The “round-trip” MEW1 makes…

Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd, the world’s fourth largest carrier, has announced it will raise rates from Asia to the Indian subcontinent and Middle East from February 15. From that date, rates from the Far East (excluding Japan) to Indian subcontinent will increase US$100 per TEU. Then on March 1, the carrier will raise rates by US$150 per TEU for carrier services from the Far East to the Persian Gulf and Red Sea.

Asia will provide over half of Lufthansa Cargo business along with its European market which will ease a gloomy start to the year in capacity cuts and forecast three per cent growth second half of 2012. “Despite the bad news in the papers over the future of the euro, the European market has been performing quite well for us in recent times. Interestingly, Italy has proven to be one of…

Germany’s biggest, and the world’s fourth largest container carrier Hapag-Lloyd, has announced it will impose a general rate increase (GRI) of US$750 per TEU on its Far East westbound services starting from March 1. The GRI will apply to all shipments from east Asia (excluding Japan) to all North Europe and Mediterranean (excluding south and west Africa) destinations, said a company statement. Hapag-Lloyd’s east Asia coverage includes Japan, South Korea,…

Dachser has opened a new dangerous goods warehouse in Romania, to tap more business as trade grows between Asia and the emerging markets of Eastern Europe, a company statement said. The dangerous near Bucharest covers an area of 6,500 square metres equipped with 11,500 pallet spaces. More than EUR10 million (US$12.73 million) was investment in the facility, which is also compliant with all European Union safety regulations. The investment follows…

DB Schenker Logistics has launched a new service that will initially deploy 12 semi-trailers to provide combined transport between Italy and Poland on the Verona-Ostrava route. A statement from the company said this is the first such service available on the route. The first trains departed in mid-January. For the time being, three round trips per week are being offered. Cemat, Kombiverkehr and Bohemiakombi are the leading operators. The logistics…

Lufthansa Cargo has launched weekly service from its home base at to the US automotive metropolis of Detroit, using an MD-11 aircraft from January 23. Initially the route is being operated from Germany every Monday, and will switch to every Sunday with the commencement of the summer schedule. The airline said that the return flight will stop off in New York on the way back to Frankfurt, in a statement….