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HMM Platinum general average adds to cargo woes, as search for refuge drags on

HMM has declared general average following the fire aboard the HMM Platinum, generating a slew of new hurdles for cargo owners, with the carrier still seeking a port of refuge for the vessel, which has spent the past month anchored off the South African coast. Korhi Average Adjusters & Surveyors have been appointed to handle the adjustment for the 5,593 teu containership, with Korhi and Richards Hogg Lindley responsible for collecting general average security. Those with cargo aboard will be required to provide salvage security and general average security before shipments can be forwarded or released, while uninsured cargo owners will be required to provide cash deposits, although the amounts have yet to be determined. Given the extent of cargo damage and timetable for discharging containers remains unclear, the requirements add more uncertainty for forwarders and their customers with shipments aboard the vessel. Fire broke out aboard the Liberian-flagged vessel on 6 October, while sailing from Kattupalli to Santos, with reports claiming that the blaze originated in a container while the ship was off Madagascar's southern coast, with some 2,300 boxes aboard. Salvage specialist SMIT was appointed under a Lloyd's Open Form agreement, while the vessel diverted towards South Africa but finding a suitable port of refuge has proved complicated. Ngqura has been identified as a possible destination, with Transnet National Ports Authority reportedly considering a request for the vessel to enter, but AIS data from Wingo Marine on 9 November placed the ship at anchor around 29km north-east of Durban.

Cargo surge and port congestion send Far East-Middle East rates climbing

Freight rates from Asia to Gulf economies trapped behind the straits of Hormuz hit unprecedented highs during this year's peak season as importers rushed to get cargo into the region, prompting another wave of port congestion. According to new data from Container Trades Statistics (CTS), prices on its Far East-Middle East & Indian subcontinent corridor showed the highest growth in freight rates of any major lane in container shipping so far this year. "It'll be no surprise that the big price index increase is Asia to India and the Middle East, where the index is up 250% since the beginning of the year and 25% month-on-month - so September's seen a resurgence of the price there and we're seeing some very strong prices," CTS chief executive Nigel Pusey tells The Loadstar's podcast today. The last pricing data came after volumes on the route rebounded during September for the first time since the onset of conflict in the region. "From Greater China to the Middle East, September was a bit of a boom month of volumes - China to Middle East was actually above this time last year for the first time since January and February. "I suspect that will fall back, but what has just kept forcing its way through to the top is the price they're paying to achieve it. We are now at a price index from Greater China to Middle East of 392, which is up 250% on the beginning of the year. "We have a month-on-month increase of 15.5%, despite the fact that year-to-date volumes are down 12%. "So, at the moment, what we've seen is a surge of cargo in late August, early September with prices to match, although I think that will drop off in October because the attacks did come back in that early part of the month. According to the latest spot rate data as per the Shanghai Containerised Freight index (SCFI), freight rates appear to have hit a ceiling of $6,500 per 40ft on the SCFI's Shanghai-Dubai leg and held at that level throughout October. However, that is some 300% up on the $1,630 per 40ft recorded at the end of October 2025. Meanwhile, the September surge has created some port congestion in the region, particularly at the two main ports immediately outside Hormuz - Fujairah and Khor Fakkan - which have acted as the chief landbridge gateways for GCC importers. Linerlytica reported last week that MSC had included a call at Khor Fakkan on a new Far East-Middle East service deploying 24,000 teu ships, "despite severe berthing delays". "Port congestion at Middle East ports has surged to a record high," Linerlytica added, and Mr Pusey said he expected to see liner networks flex to cope with the congestion. "I think there'll be some deviations. I've noticed one or two lines have stopped even serving cargo into Khor Fakkan and the Fujairah, which suggests that the place is getting very congested because people are trying to rush cargo through," he told The Loadstar. "They're now saying, 'Well, we're going to stop bookings whilst we just take a bit of a breather', and I don't usually use my crystal ball too much, but I'm pretty sure that's what's going to happen in October and early November." In general, the use of Khor Fakkan over Fujairah has divided the liner industry into two broad camps - with MSC and the Gemini partners Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd opting for the former, while CMA CGM and its Ocean Alliance partners have their services concentrated in Fujairah, with both ports hosting increasing numbers of smaller Asian and Middle East regional carriers' services. Meanwhile, Maersk said shippers were returning to using the Saudi Red Sea port of Jeddah as an alternative gateway to Gulf destinations. "Use of the Saudi Landbridge increased during October as evolving conditions at Khor Fakkan and disruption linked to the Strait of Hormuz led customers to explore alternative routings into Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf," a Maersk statement said. "Interest is expected to continue into November, particularly when customers are seeking to reduce exposure to disruptions affecting port and shipping connections" it added. "The trend also highlights the value of coordinating ocean and landside planning across customer's chosen service providers. "However, capacity, border processing and onward delivery requirements should be confirmed for each shipment before routing decisions are finalized."

Cainiao launches AI and tech airfreight service

Chinese e-commerce logistics company Cainiao has become the latest company to launch a supply chain service targeting AI computing and robotics shipments. The company's "Global Tech in Three Days" service will cover the full tech development cycle from prototype testing and product validation to scaled delivery and overseas operations. The new service is built around three levels: Global Express; Global Air Freight and Global Warehouse Network. Global Express is designed for high-urgency scenarios such as R and D testing, customer demonstrations, product fulfilment, and small-batch replenishment. "It supports flexible multimodal transportation options to meet the needs of both trial shipments and scaled delivery," Cainiao said. Global Air Freight is for large, high-value and overweight shipments such as AI computing equipment, control systems and core modules. "The service provides customised door-to-door delivery and white-glove handling, including scheduled delivery, indoor placement and unpacking handover, ensuring precise and secure delivery for sensitive technology products," the company explained. Global Warehouse Network supports regional stocking, multi-country inventory allocation and local delivery across Cainiao's warehouse network. "As AI becomes a new engine of productivity, logistics must evolve to support faster innovation and global scale," said William Xiong, chief executive of Cainiao Global. "Over the past decade, Cainiao has built an open, efficient and sustainable smart logistics network. As AI and embodied intelligence move from the lab into real industry, we want to leverage our global network to help partners accelerate value creation." Other companies have also been looking to capitalise on the growth in AI volumes over the last couple of years. Earlier this month, Emirates SkyCargo launched a dedicated product designed to help customers move critical and sensitive AI infrastructure safely and on time. Meanwhile, Qatar Airways Cargo launched its semiconductor product in 2025. The company is also investing in its own AI and robotics capabilities and pointed out the technology has improved speed, efficiency and cost across merchant interactions, exception handling, security inspection, warehouse allocation, customs classification and global operations. Looking ahead, the company is investing in Cainiao AI tech covering core operations such as warehouse picking, intelligent navigation and delivery, high-altitude inspection, security operations, aviation logistics and auto parts management. "Cainiao has already scaled pilot deployments across express delivery, e-commerce, FMCG and auto parts scenarios, covering three major task types: basic tasks such as parcel feeding and labelling, mid-level precision tasks such as small-item sorting, and advanced long-horizon tasks such as palletising and complex depalletising. "These deployments are helping robots evolve from single-point operations to more sophisticated real-world applications."