AH, WEEK 46. The week I tried to be cool and do the “6-7” hands to my (almost) teenager but somehow got confused and went with the wiggle fingers instead. Pretty sure I lost all my aura points (street cred) in that very moment.
Let's move into shipping news, where the week’s been just as eventful.
Across the U.S., retail activity is easing into the usual year end slowdown. The National Retail Federation (NRF) says import volumes through major ports have fallen below two million TEU a month. With most holiday stock already in place, November and December are shaping up as the quietest months of 2025.
Since the pause in the U.S.-China trade standoff, the industry has been watching closely. The one year suspension of retaliatory port charges, aimed at challenging China’s shipbuilding dominance, brought relief for carriers but left shipyards and unions divided. Shipping groups welcomed the breather, while U.S. labour voices called it a setback. Analysts view it as a “tactical timeout” rather than lasting peace.
Freight rates have softened, with the Drewry World Container Index down 5% this week, the first drop after four weeks of gains, as post holiday demand eases and Red Sea uncertainty lingers.
Meanwhile, here’s what’s flying under the radar this week:
Today’s picture shows the Captain Thanasis I, a new caller to Fremantle on MSC’s Koala service. She has since visited Adelaide and is now en route back to Jakarta, skipping Melbourne on this voyage (likely to make up some lost time). The vessel is 222m long, 30m wide, and was built in 2005 in South Korea with a carrying capacity of a little over 2800TEU.
Have a fantastic weekend, and happy bargain hunting if you’re shopping the Black Friday sales!