I’M NOT sure who needs to hear this, but next week it is December! That Christmas feeling is certainly in the air and I, like most of you, will be putting up the tree this weekend. I think a lot of us have a love-hate relationship with the Christmas tree. Personally, for a week I love it, and for all the days after that I can’t wait to take it down!
Another challenge this week has been the weather. We’ve had TC Fina closing Darwin Port and that wild weather battering Queensland. It seems Mother Nature is really making herself known, throwing any resemblance of scheduling out the window. For yet another week, we’ve seen an increased number of port omissions, rotation changes, and delays across most Australian ports.
And if all that wasn't enough, we’ve also seen a run of shipboard fires making headlines again. Over in the US, two vessels were hit while alongside at terminals: the ONE Henry Hudson in Los Angeles, and more recently the Chiquita Voyager in Wilmington, where an engine room fire injured four crew. These sit on top of a growing list of incidents this year, including the Morning Midas, Marie Maersk, Wan Hai 503, and MSC Elsa 3. Every one of these cases shows the increasing frequency and complexity of fires on board container ships, showing just how critical proper cargo declarations, stowage, and onboard fire response capabilities have become for the industry.
On a lighter note, a new global ranking has placed Singapore as the world’s leading container port, ahead of Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan. In Oceania, Sydney/Port Botany came out on top, followed by Melbourne and Brisbane, reflecting the region’s strong mix of productivity, connectivity, and sustainability.
So, what’s not making the headlines?
💠CMA CGM resumes limited service to Russia
💠MSC Medlog wins deal for Bangladesh’s Pangaon Terminal
💠Canada Post and union reach deal in principle to end strike
💠Strike brings Belgian ports to a standstill, inland cargo affected
💠Wild weather causes mass disruption in Brisbane and Sydney
💠AD Ports takes stake in Egyptian container terminal operator
💠Engine failure sees MSC Maritina V detained in Port Phillip Bay
💠DP World plans $275m expansion at Port of Santos
💠Mexico: truckers stage nationwide road block over cargo theft
💠Singapore to award methanol bunkering licences from 2026
💠Seaspan explores nuclear containerships to slash emissions, costs
💠Singapore overtakes Hong Kong as global ship registry rankings shift
💠Qube board recommends Macquarie $11.6B buyout offer
Today’s picture features the MH Green, a familiar caller to Fremantle on this shuttle service. This is the vessel's last call it seems as she appears to be phasing out, being replaced on the schedule by the Hansa Asia. The Hansa Asia is a geared vessel, measuring 240m in length and has a 32m beam, and offers slightly higher carrying capacity than the MH Green.
I hope everyone has a great weekend!