The One Apus containership came to berth at the Port of Kobe, Japan yesterday, Tuesday, December 8, 2020 after experiencing a massive container collapse accident due to severe weather conditions out in the Pacific on November 30th.  A report by gCaptain states that 1,816 containers were lost overboard. Local emergency services were called in to the port and operations are now in process, including damage assessment and determining the safety...

Lloyd’s Loading List reported today that the Asia to northern Europe container spot rates rose to over $2,000 per teu, a level that has been unsurpassed since 2010 following the global financial crisis. Other increases were seen this week in the Asia-Mediterranean rates and are also expected as well for China to UK trade as the Brexit deadline approaches at the end of the year.

American Trucking Associations (ATA) provided its advanced and seasonally adjusted truck Tonnage Index showing a 6.3% decrease in October following a smaller level increase in September. ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello explained that even though it is possible that the economy may be “losing momentum” - he attributes this decrease more to seasonal and pandemic factors. See more data available at ATA.

Britain left the European Union this past January and now the UK and EU are attempting a “thin” trade deal as Britain’s informal membership (transition period) ends in about nine weeks on December 31. Points of contention revolve around issues of economic fair play, fisheries and resolution of disputes, while three main scenarios are being suggested ranging from a narrow deal to no deal at all, or a partial compromise in between.

The US Government Accountability Office, after a continued review of protests submitted by competing companies, issued a decision on Wednesday to cancel the award of the Defense Department's global household goods contract to American Roll On Roll Off Carrier Group (ARC), of Parsippany, New Jersey.  The process will now require US TRANSCOM to review its procedures and to reissue a new RFP on the estimated $19.9 billion contract.

Elaine Chao, U.S. Transportation Secretary explained yesterday, the critical need to focus long-term on the country’s infrastructure needs well beyond the recent one-year extension of the FAST Act(national highway bill). Chao discussed this strategy at the October 8thvirtual event, “The Future of Freight and Supply Chain Management” that was co-hosted by Transport Topics and CQ Roll Call...