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Xeneta chief takes aim at ocean carriers over treatment of shippers

Ocean shipping lines are taking advantage of shippers by pushing through rate increases which run counter to prevailing market fundamentals, according to one leading maritime trade commentator. Peter Sand, chief analyst at Xeneta, took the Europe-US trade as an example - commonly perceived as a stable and predictable market, especially in these turbulent times for ocean shipping. As geopolitical events have triggered uncertainty and volatility on other major lanes, the transatlantic has navigated much calmer seas. However, the first half of the year has been marked by a sharp rises in rates, in contrast to far less movement in demand and capacity, Mr Sand underlined. "The North Europe-US East Coast is a specialised and sizeable trade, benefiting from a broad mix of industrial goods. And yet this pocket of stability has also experienced turbulence in freight rates since 1 April, he told The Loadstar. Data from Xeneta shows spot rates on the North Europe to US East Coast trade rose 86% between the end of February when the Gulf crisis began and last week, a hefty increase, albeit significantly smaller than those recorded on other major trades such as Far East-US and Far East-Europe. Long term rates on the North Europe to US East Coast over the same period rose 53% to $2,123 per 40ft. "For transatlantic spot rates, it seems to have been a case of carriers successfully spooking shippers back in January that capacity was tight and space not readily available. This may have been true for a few weeks, but certainly not since then." Xeneta's data on carriers' deployed capacity on the transatlantic in the first half of the year reveals a 4.7% decrease year on year (YoY). "The deepest cut came in January (-10.7%), before more capacity was added in March (+4.1%). During the same period, demand between the EU and US was flat, YoY (-0.7%). He went to stress that the "global ripple effects" from tariffs to fuel, had been keenly felt by shippers, including those active on the transatlantic trade. Turning to the outlook for the transatlantic in the coming months, Mr Sand noted that Xeneta's expectations for the trade, in terms of demand and supply, was for more of the same: both declining on a YoY basis. "As for short-term and long-term rates, they should soon start to drop and continue falling as we approach year-end."

Airbus unveils A350F test aircraft in packaging livery

Airbus has unveiled the livery of its first A350 freighter on a social media post, with the aircraft decked out to look like a parcel. The paint scheme was selected as part of a competition that attracted 4,000 design entries. "Its unique livery perfectly reflects the #NewGenFreighter's mission: transform air cargo operations," Airbus said in a LinkedIn post. "Congratulations to everyone who brought this milestone to life, from the competition winners to our #TeamAirbus experts across branding, engineering and painting teams," the airframer added. The aircraft shown in the video is registered as F-WXLD (MSN700). In total, Airbus has built two A350Fs for the test campaign. The unveiling of the aircraft's paint scheme comes as the model edges closer to its first flight. Earlier this week, Reuters reported that the first flight of Airbus' next-generation A350 freighter was expected to take place towards the end of September. Quoting industry sources, the newswire said the airframer is hopeful the first flight will take place on around 24 September, although there is always the chance that technical issues or inclement weather could push that date back into October. In response to questions from Air Cargo News, Airbus said: "The maiden flight is expected later in 2026, followed by the first delivery in the second half of 2027." Airbus is hoping to start to deliver the aircraft to customers by the end of next year. The company is targeting simultaneous certification from EASA and the FAA under the latest Amendment 27 safety regulations. The airframer said earlier this year that certification is targeted by the middle of next year. The aircraft will be able to carry up to 111 tonnes of payload with a range of up to 8,700 km. The aircraft will feature the largest maindeck cargo door in the industry, which Airbus says will make it easier to load larger shipments.

Seven MSC box ships 'go dark' as they resume Suez canal transits

MSC has joined its peers in resuming Suez Canal transits, sending seven ships through the waterway this month. Container shipping consultancy Linerlytica's report today shows transits were as follows: * the 23,782 teu MSC Amelia, deployed to MSC's China-Mediterranean Tiger service crossed the Suez on 31 July and Bab el Mandeb Strait on 3 August; * the 13,102 teu MSC Vega, on MSC's China-Mediterranean Dragon service, crossed Suez on 31 July and Bab el Mandeb Strait on 3 August; * the 9,408 teu MSC Giulia, on a China-Mediterranean positioning trip, transited Suez on 21 July and Bab el Mandeb Strait on 4 August, after stopping at Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Port; * the 24,346 teu MSC Irina, on MSC's China-Mediterranean Jade service, made a Suez passage on 4 August and passed through the Bab el Mandeb Strait on 8 August; * the 15,413 teu MSC Annabella, on MSC's China-North Europe Britannia service, crossed Suez on 4 August and the Bab el Mandeb Strait on 11 August, after stopping at King Abdullah Port; * the 19,224 teu MSC Oliver, on MSC's China-Mediterranean Tiger service, passed through Suez on 10 August and Bab el Mandeb Strait on 13 August; and * the 15,576 teu MSC NapoIi, on the China-North Europe Lion service, transited Suez on 12 August and the Bab el Mandeb Strait on Saturday. Linerlytica adds that all the Bab el Mandeb Strait crossings were "dark" transits, meaning the ships had switched off their automatic identification system (AIS) transponders to hide their location, names, and movement, minimising the risk of Houthi attacks. Worsening port congestion in China is encouraging mainline operators to speed-up Asia-Europe sailing times and close one eye to the Houthi threat, as stormy weather has seen vessel waiting times top 12 days. Maersk, CMA CGM and Cosco have all resumed Red Sea transits, or are planning to do so. Typhoons Bavi, Noul, and Dolphin have made landfall in eastern and southern China over the past month, affecting operations in Shanghai, Ningbo, Qingdao, Yantian, and Shekou, among other ports. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait crossings coincide with downward pressure on Asia-Europe freight rates, evidenced by shipping lines trimming their expectations for a peak season surcharge in September. On Friday, the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index showed the Shanghai-North Europe rate corrected by about 3% from 7 August, to $4,811 per 40ft. However, Linerlytica noted that some shipping lines were already quoting lower rates. Linerlytica said: "Although some carriers are aiming for a modest rate hike in September of around $500 per 40ft, the market momentum remains negative with EC2609 (September contracts) futures currently trading at a 30% discount to current SCFIS rates."