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Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia plan coordinated response to box ship fires

Singapore is seeking closer cooperation with Malaysia and Indonesia to improve regional response to containership fires. Cargo-related incidents aboard box ships have become an increasing concern for the maritime industry. The move was outlined at the 17th Cooperation Forum in Singapore yesterday, where the three countries discussed navigation safety and marine environmental protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. Singapore's minister for transport, Jeffrey Siow (pictured), said when incidents happened, rapid coordination among relevant authorities was critical to saving lives, limiting environmental damage, and keeping vital shipping routes operational. He said: "In recent years, we have also observed more cargo fires on containerships. Despite our best efforts, marine accidents will occur......When they do, rapid and coordinated action can save lives, limit pollution, and keep the waterway open for others." One of the most recent containership fires was in Singapore, on Evergreen-owned 9,226 teu Ever Lenient on 10 April, while the vessel was docked at the Pasir Panjang Terminal. The crew and firefighters extinguished the flames. Nearly a quarter of global seaborne trade passes through the Straits of Singapore and Malacca. Against this backdrop, Singapore plans a trilateral procedure covering three key areas: the management and notification of maritime incidents; procedures for identifying containers that are lost overboard; and vessels that have sunk. Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore CEO Ang Wee Keong said more vessel movements, larger ships, and changing cargo profiles were making navigation in the straits more challenging. He said: "We must continue to anticipate new challenges and adapt our approac accordingly." Allianz Commercial said in its Safety and Shipping Review 2026, more than 200 vessel fire incidents were recorded in 2025, the second-highest annual total in the past decade. The insurer said misdeclared cargo comprised nearly 25% of cargo-related incidents, with batteries and chemicals among the most common causes of fires. Allianz also said that last year, lithium-ion battery cargo volumes were six times higher than five years earlier, and that demand was expected to double again by 2030.

BNSF's switching rate blitz - gauging the impact

Rewind: a dispute over switching fees at a handful of Nebraska grain elevators is quietly testing the limits of railroad competition in America's heartland. When BNSF Railway rewrote its reciprocal switching tariff on May 1, the effect at one Grand Island, Nebraska facility was immediate and blunt: the per-car switching fee jumped from $295 to $1,395. At five other locations across Nebraska, Iowa, and Texas, the longstanding $105 unit-train grain rate simply vanished, replaced by a standard merchandise rate ...

Cainiao strengthens cross-border customs clearance capabilities in Mexico

Chinese e-commerce logistics and technology company Cainiao has strengthened its customs clearance capabilities in Mexico for cross-border customers. By combining customs clearance with last-mile delivery, parcels can move through Cainiao's network with better visibility and tighter control over exceptions, helping reduce delays and risks caused by multiple handoffs, said the company. Since entering the Mexican market in 2024, Cainiao has continued to expand its local network and now operates a 20,000 sq m sorting centre and 38 consolidation and delivery stations. Located near Felipe Ángeles International Airport, a major cargo hub in Mexico, the sorting centre supports faster inbound transfer and parcel processing. Cainiao plans to add more automation at the facility to further improve sorting efficiency and peak-season capacity. The company said it has also built strong partnerships with major cross-border and local e-commerce platforms and brands, including Inditex, Mercado Libre, Temu and TikTok. Earlier this month, Cainiao launched a cross-border logistics service that enables parcels to be delivered within three calendar days on 15 international routes. The company has also announced that its local express network in Mexico has expanded from 20 states to nationwide coverage. The company has also launched local pickup services in Mexico City and the State of Mexico. Major areas in Mexico City and the State of Mexico now offer two-day delivery, while key cities in other parts of the country can be served within three days. The company is using AI-powered dispatching, route planning, address recognition and image recognition technologies to improve last-mile accuracy and fulfilment reliability. Shen Jianfeng, vice president of Cainiao, said Mexico's logistics market is seeing growing and more diverse demand. He said cross-border sellers increasingly need stable, compliant customs clearance and a more controllable end-to-end fulfilment process, while the rapid growth of local e-commerce has raised domestic sellers' expectations for broader coverage, faster delivery and more precise service. "Mexico's cross-border and domestic e-commerce sectors are both growing rapidly, making the market a key focus for Cainiao. We will continue to strengthen our local network and team capabilities," Jianfeng added.