Our global freight forwarding network keeps our customers freight moving across the world.

Yangtze ports test the water with longer container shipping routes

China's Jiangyin and Nanjing have become the latest Yangtze River ports to demonstrate ocean-going ambitions. Yesterday, Cosco Shipping Specialised Carriers, the Cosco group's multi-purpose shipping arm, launched a container shipping service from Jiangyin to Mexico's Manzanillo. More than 500 containers, loaded with machinery and finished goods, were placed on the general cargo ship, CSPC Jade. And last Friday, Cosco started a container service from Nanjing to North Africa, following 2024 and 2025 test voyages through the Northern Sea Route. Yangtze River ports have been pushing for deepsea container shipping routes to cut logistics costs and boost supply chain efficiency for local and hinterland enterprises, gaining a competitive edge in the regional economy. Traditionally, cargo from the Yangtze hinterland had to be barged to major ports like Shanghai or Ningbo, incurring additional port handling and short-haul transport fees, and consuming significant time. Areas in the lower reaches of the Yangtze host vital manufacturing hubs, with industries ranging from home appliances and electronics to automotive parts and photovoltaics - enterprises highly sensitive to logistics efficiency and costs. Direct routes eliminate the need for transhipment. The new Mexico route from Jiangyin, for example, takes 22 days, cutting around 15 days from traditional transhipment routes. Apparently aimed at providing a solution to Panama Canal bottlenecks, some of the cargo will be railed or trucked from Manzanillo into the US. In March, Cosco Shipping Specialised Carriers executed a one-off container shipping voyage from Jiangyin to Belgium's Antwerp port, using the 1,070 teu Tian Lu.

Zim the outlier as top carriers slash reliance on chartered tonnage

The world's largest container shipping lines are becoming less-reliant on chartered vessels - most of the top 10 carriers reducing their exposure significantly since the Covid-era freight boom. New analysis by Alphaliner shows the proportion of chartered capacity in the fleets of most major carriers has fallen since 2021-22, as record profits enabled the lines to invest heavily in newbuildings and second-hand tonnage. While a decade ago the operated fleets of the top 10 typically comprised 40%-70% chartered capacity, Alphaliner noted that the figure was now 18%-50%. Among the top five, chartered tonnage accounts for just 30% to 40% of deployed capacity. South Korea's HMM has made the biggest reduction. Its chartered fleet accounted for 56% of capacity in 2016, but is now less than 20%. Following the collapse of Hanjin, the South Korean government supported HMM's expansion as the flagship carrier, which included the acquisition of 59 newbuildings to date. CMA CGM recorded the second-largest decline, its chartered capacity falling from 67% of its fleet in 2016 to about 34% today. Much of the reduction came after the pandemic, when strong profits enabled the French carrier to invest heavily in owned tonnage, acquiring 160 second-hand containerships and delivery of 100 newbuildings. The carrier nevertheless remains a major user of non-operating owner (NOO) tonnage and continues to play an active role in the charter market. MSC has reduced its chartered share from 61% in 2016 to 36% today. Compared with the roughly 75% of its fleet on charter during Covid, the Geneva-based carrier has effectively halved its charter exposure over the past five years. It shifted decisively towards vessel ownership from late 2020, ordering 252 newbuildings and purchasing around 500 second-hand vessels. Its chartering activity subsequently collapsed, with only about 40 fixtures concluded this year, three to four times fewer than previously. Evergreen has cut its chartered share from 42% in 2016 to 28% today, following an investment programme that included 125 newbuildings ordered since 2021. Yang Ming's chartered exposure has fallen from 63% in 2016 to 50%. But Alphaliner flagged that the reductions had been less pronounced at Maersk, ONE, Cosco, and Hapag-Lloyd. About 38% of Maersk's operated fleet is now chartered, just seven percentage points below 2016 levels. The Danish carrier remains a major NOO customer and has concluded at least 130 fixtures this year. ONE and Cosco have both reduced their chartered share by 12%-13%, to approximately 53% and 40%, respectively. Hapag-Lloyd's ratio has fallen 15% over the past decade, to about 39%. Zim, however, remains the clear outlier, retaining an asset-light, charter-heavy model. Chartered vessels have represented between 85% and 98% of its deployed capacity over the past decade, while its 23-vessel orderbook is entirely chartered tonnage. That could change if Hapag-Lloyd's proposed acquisition goes ahead. Alphaliner also cautioned that the distinction between owned and chartered tonnage was becoming less clear. Long-term bareboat charters can include purchase options or obligations, meaning some vessels classified as chartered may effectively represent "delayed ownership". As a result, the actual proportion of capacity controlled through ownership may be higher than the headline figures suggest.

Jupiter Jet rebuilds operations with 757 freighter

Kazakhstan based cargo airline Jupiter Jet has taken delivery of a leased Boeing 757-200 passenger to freighter (P2F) aircraft from lessor AerSale. The addition of the freighter will support Jupiter Jet's plans to expand operations across Kazakhstan, Central Asia and beyond. AerSale said the 757-200PCF is well suited for express cargo and e-commerce networks throughout Central Asia and neighbouring markets. According to Planespotters, the 757-200PCF is the first aircraft in Jupiter Jet's fleet. However, the airline was originally Kazakhstan's Air Company ATMA, established in 1996, and renamed Jupiter Jet in 2016. The cargo carrier has historically operated ad-hoc charter services, primarily using Soviet/Russian-built freighters including the Antonov An-12, An-74 and Ilyushin Il-76. It subsequently lost its aircraft and ceased operations, but retained its air operator certificate and has since sought to restart its cargo operation, "We are pleased to support Jupiter Jet's fleet expansion with this Boeing 757 freighter," said Nicolas Finazzo, chief executive of AerSale. "The 757 remains one of the industry's most versatile and dependable medium-haul freighters, and this lease demonstrates AerSale's ability to provide tailored fleet solutions that help operators meet evolving market demand." "We are excited to add the Boeing 757 freighter to our fleet through our partnership with AerSale," added Erik Kozbagarov, chief executive of Jupiter Jet. "The aircraft's performance and economics make it an excellent fit for our expanding cargo network, allowing us to better serve our customers while positioning Jupiter Jet for continued growth." AerSale's offerings include aircraft & component MRO, aircraft and engine sales and Leasing, Used Serviceable Material sales, and internally developed 'Engineered Solutions' to enhance aircraft performance and operating economics.