Persistent fog disrupts ports in Texas, Louisiana

Spanish Market: Freight
11/02/25

Dense fog halted marine pilot service at Texas ports again on Tuesday, a ship agent said.

The Houston Pilots Association, which services vessels entering or departing the port of Houston, resumed boardings for only outbound traffic at 10:45am ET Tuesday after suspending all vessel traffic on Monday evening, the US Coast Guard said.

Pilots also suspended service at the nearby ports of Galveston and Texas City. The port of Freeport, Texas, remained open, the ship agent said.

Pilots halted boardings at the Sabine-Neches Waterway on the Texas-Louisiana border early Tuesday, the third consecutive day with intermittent fog closures. The waterway was last open from 8:30am Monday before closing at 12:30am ET Tuesday.

Vessel traffic resumed at the Louisiana port of Lake Charles at 4:45am ET Tuesday, the ship agent said. Traffic there has been halted every night since 2 February due to dense fog but has remained open during the day.

The October-March period that brings cooler weather to the US Gulf coast also brings periods of dense fog that can disrupt area ports, as warmer humid air collides with colder onshore air masses. Port closures can persist for several days, leading to delays and vessel congestion.

Weather forecasts indicate a moderate to high chance of fog in Texas and Louisiana through Thursday morning.

By Tray Swanson

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20/03/25

Escoamento de soja causa fila de caminhões em Rondônia

Sao Paulo, 20 March (Argus) — O tempo de espera para embarque da safra de soja 2024-25 no porto de Porto Velho, em Rondônia, chegou a seis dias nesta semana, de acordo com a Associação dos Produtores de Soja do estado (Aprosoja-RO). A falta de infraestrutura portuária e de armazenagem nas fazendas, aliada ao pico da colheita da oleaginosa nas últimas semanas, aumentou a fila de caminhões para o escoamento das cargas no porto de Porto Velho. "Tivemos uma fila de até 1.200 caminhões no pátio de triagem de Porto Velho, por onde é escoada toda a produção do estado e da região noroeste de Mato Grosso", disse o diretor administrativo da Aprosoja-RO, Marcelo Lucas. As cargas embarcadas seguem pelo Rio Madeira até o porto de Santarém, no Pará, de onde é exportada. A colheita de soja 2024-25 em Rondônia deve atingir 2,4 milhões de toneladas (t), um aumento de 7pc em relação ao ciclo anterior, de acordo com a Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento (Conab). Rondônia não teve dificuldades no escoamento de soja nessa magnitude em anos anteriores, mas, por conta do pico de colheita na safra deste ciclo, há um volume maior a ser transportado em um menor espaço de tempo, segundo a Aprosoja-RO. A Aprosoja-RO também disse que os gargalos logísticos têm causado prejuízos aos produtores, que não conseguem escoar a colheita de suas propriedades. As cargas que conseguem ser embarcadas acabam degradadas por conta das longas tempos de esperas para descarga. Os produtores também estão absorvendo os custos de manter caminhões estacionados em armazéns e portos, elevando os preços do frete de grãos rodoviário a níveis acima do que é tradicionalmente praticado na região, disse a Aprosoja-RO. Na semana encerrada em 13 de março, o frete rodoviário de grãos no corredor Sapezal-Porto Velho atingiu R$235/t, ante R$185/t no mesmo período em 2024. A entidade disse que está trabalhando com o governo do estado para rever a concessão do porto de Porto Velho, permitindo que outras empresas operem. A Aprosoja-RO recebeu relatos de que há espaços ociosos que poderiam estar atendendo aos produtores. O porto de Porto Velho é administrado pela Sociedade de Portos e Hidrovias de Rondônia (Soph), que informou que não administra as filas externas e não tem autoridade na área retroportuária de caminhões aguardando liberação para triagem nos terminais. Por Bruno Castro Envie comentários e solicite mais informações em feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . Todos os direitos reservados.

Brazil's soybean outflow causes truck queue in Rondonia

20/03/25

Brazil's soybean outflow causes truck queue in Rondonia

Sao Paulo, 20 March (Argus) — The waiting time for shipping the 2024-25 soybean crop at Brazil's port of Porto Velho reached six days this week, according to the local soybean producers association Aprosoja-RO. Lack of port infrastructure and farm storage, combined with the 2024-25 oilseed harvest peak in recent weeks, increased the truck queue for the flow of cargo at the port, in Brazil's northern state of Rondonia. "We have a queue of up to 1,200 trucks at the Porto Velho sorting yard, where all the production from the state and from Mato Grosso's northwest region are transported," said the administrative director of Aprosoja-RO, Marcelo Lucas. The cargo is shipped and continues along the Madeira River to the port of Santarem, in northern Para state, where it is exported. The 2024-25 soybean harvest in Rondonia is expected to reach 2.4mn metric tonnes (t), up by 7pc from the previous cycle, according to the national supply company Conab. Rondonia state did not have difficulties of this magnitude in previous years, but because of the peak in this cycle's harvest, there is a higher volume to be transported in a shorter period of time, according to Aprosoja-RO. Aprosoja-RO also said the logistical bottlenecks have caused losses to producers, who are unable to transport the harvest from their properties. The cargoes that are able to be loaded end up degraded because of the long waits in lines. Farmers are also absorbing the costs of keeping trucks parked in warehouses and ports, raising road freight prices to levels above what is traditionally practiced in the region, said Aprosoja-RO. In the week ending 13 March road grain freight on the Sapezal-Porto Velho corridor reached R235/t ($42/t), compared to R185/t in the same period in 2024. The entity said they are working with the state government to review the concession of the Porto Velho port, allowing other companies to operate it. Aprosoja-RO received reports that there are idle spaces that could be serving the producers. The port of Porto Velho is managed by the state ports and waterways society Soph, which said it does not manage the external truck queues, and does not have authority in the retroport area of trucks awaiting clearance for sorting to the terminals. By Bruno Castro Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Global Ports запустил комплекс для навалочных грузов на Балтике

20/03/25

Global Ports запустил комплекс для навалочных грузов на Балтике

Moscow, 20 March (Argus) — Контейнерный терминал Петролеспорт (ПЛП, Санкт-Петербург), входящий в холдинг Global Ports группы компаний Дело, в I квартале ввел в техническую эксплуатацию комплекс по перевалке навалочных грузов, сообщил на брифинге 19 марта генеральный директор Global Ports Альберт Лихолет. Ранее терминалы Global Ports принимали удобрения в спецконтейнерах, а новый комплекс позволит клиентам отгружать продукцию через ПЛП в более привычных хопперах. Грузы обрабатываются по контейнерной технологии: поступают на новый комплекс в минераловозах, перегружаются в балк-контейнеры и переваливаются на морской транспорт. Технология не предусматривает хранения балком на специализированных складских мощностях. За январь — февраль мы увеличили перевалку неконтейнерных грузов, в основном удобрений, на 13%. У крупных отраслевых производителей есть планы дальнейшего увеличения экспорта продукта, мы хотим быть частью этого процесса, — отметил Лихолет. Средняя судовая партия составляет около 30 тыс. т. Проектная мощность сейчас находится на уровне 2,4 млн т/год, а после завершения отладки и обкатки технологии совместно с РЖД ее планируется увеличить до 3,2 млн т/год. Комплекс на 92% оснащен оборудованием российского производства. Существенных рисков ввиду ожидаемого ввода в эксплуатацию новых терминалов по перевалке удобрений на Балтике мы для себя не видим. Считаем, что продукта будет достаточно всем. Мы работаем как с четырьмя крупнейшими экспортерами российских удобрений, так и с нишевыми локальными производителями, прорабатываем с ними возможности сотрудничества, — рассказал глава Global Ports. У холдинга два действующих долгосрочных контракта на перевалку удобрений: с Фосагро — до конца 2028 г., рассчитан на обработку 3 млн т/год продукции, а также с Еврохимом — до конца текущего года, предусматривает перевалку до 100 тыс. т в месяц, или около 1,2 млн т/год. Перевалкой сухих удобрений займется также терминал Port Favor в Усть-Луге (Ленинградская обл.), входящий в Портовый альянс, после ввода в эксплуатацию второй очереди этого проекта в конце 2025 г. Ожидается, что Port Favor выйдет на проектную мощность — 14 млн т/год — уже в 2026 г. ___________________ Больше ценовой информации и аналитических материалов о рынке транспортировки навалочных, генеральных грузов и контейнеров — в ежемесячном отчете Argus Логистика сухих грузов . Подписаться на аналитический дайджест Вы можете присылать комментарии по адресу или запросить дополнительную информацию feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Группа Argus Media . Все права защищены.

US' China ship fees would boost costs, not shipbuilding

19/03/25

US' China ship fees would boost costs, not shipbuilding

New York, 19 March (Argus) — The US Trade Representative's (USTR) proposal to fine Chinese-built ships calling on US ports would cripple trade flows and increase costs for US consumers rather than promote domestic shipbuilding efforts, according to comments from shipping industry participants. Comments filed earlier this month from US industries that rely on shipborne cargo were critical of the USTR plan to fine owners of Chinese-built vessels between $500,000 and $1.5mn per port call, saying it would disrupt trade flows and increase US consumer costs . In more recent filings, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), shipbrokers and major shipping associations, among others, echoed those concerns, calling on the USTR to reconsider its proposal ahead of a public hearing the USTR will host on 24 March. The AAPA commended USTR's goal of revitalizing the US' domestic maritime industry, but warned that the proposed fine on Chinese-built ships would not have a positive impact on US shipbuilding efforts. "The fees will do little to grow the American shipbuilding industry, which needs major infusions of capital, workforce talent and innovation to begin competing with shipbuilders abroad," the AAPA said. Existing shipyards in the US are working at or near capacity, so higher demand will not enable them to produce additional ships with the "same number of resources", according to AAPA. The proposed fines would disrupt the efficient and cost-effective flow of essential goods to the American cities and industries, shipbroker Lightship said in its comments to the USTR proposal. "If the US were to tax Chinese vessels, then Japanese vessels and shipyards would be the directly benefited party, not the eventual US shipyards," the shipbroker said. A $1mn fee on Chinese vessels calling on US ports would be an effective $20/t surcharge on the 50,000t-sized cargoes common in the Supramax dry bulker segment that delivers critical cargoes to the US, Lightship said, such as the rock salt that de-ices roads along the US east coast. "The salt producer and seller will subsequently raise the price per ton of salt to offset these higher freight costs," Lightship said. Fees on Chinese vessels would split the global freight market into US-focused and US-avoidant shipping segments, according to major international shipping agency BIMCO, while the additional costs would be "passed on to the US consumer". "The totality of the world fleet would not change, but the overall cost of maritime trade would increase due to less competition in the now segregated US market," BIMCO said. "In this regard, it is worth keeping in mind that the US import/export is about 12pc of global seaborne trade, so the consequences of reorganizing maritime trade will have a much bigger impact on US import/export than on trade in the rest of the world." The threat of the proposals being instituted under US president Donald Trump's administration contributed to a nearly 20pc increase in freight rates last week for dry bulk vessels loading out of the US . The rise was notable for early signs of a bifurcation developing in US exports, as vessel operators without Chinese vessels in their fleet submitted higher $/d offers for US-loading cargoes compared to operators utilizing Chinese vessels in their fleet. By Charlotte Bawol Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Houthis to resume attacks on Israeli ships in Red Sea

11/03/25

Houthis to resume attacks on Israeli ships in Red Sea

New York, 11 March (Argus) — Yemeni rebel group the Houthis today said it will resume attacks on "Israeli ships" passing through the Red Sea, following the group's 7 March warning that it would restart if humanitarian aid was not let into Gaza. The group paused its attacks on ships after a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza went into effect on 19 January. But now it will resume its "ban on the passage of all Israeli ships in the designated operations zones in the Red and Arabian sea, as well as Bab-al-Mandab strait and the Gulf of Aden," according to posts it made on social media sites X and Telegram. "Any Israeli ships attempting to violate this ban shall be targeted in the declared zones of operations," the group said. "This ban shall continue until crossing to the Gaza Strip are reopened and aid, food and medicine are allowed in." The group in a 7 March video had said it would resume attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea if humanitarian aid was not allowed into Gaza . "If the enemy continues, after four days, to stop humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip, including food, medicine, then we will return to continuing our sea operations against the enemy," it said in the video. By Charlotte Bawol Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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