This week felt a bit like trying to pull on wet bathers - uncomfortable, tight, and more than a little awkward. On the upside though, I discovered my patience runs deeper than I thought, especially after my kids asked me for the fifth time, “What do I wear today?” Ah, the joys of school holidays.
Shifting from home to the US, the U.S. Federal Government shutdown kicked off on the 1st of October. Core operations are still running - CBP law enforcement, Coast Guard safety and security, MARAD emergency programs, and Great Lakes Seaway traffic - but admin tasks like FMC filings, service contract approvals, tariffs, and NVOCC registrations are on ice until things reopen. Not sure anyone had that on their 2025 bingo card.
Meanwhile, China’s Golden Week is in full swing. This is usually an importer operators favourite time of the year due to the reduced email traffic! Vessel volumes on the China-Australia trade remain steady, though demand on our side looks softer, with rates trending down to match.
The real test will come once China’s factories kick back in. Manufacturing activity ticked up ever so slightly, but the sector still logged its sixth straight monthly decline - the longest slump since 2019. After a growth spurt earlier this year, signs of slowdown are creeping back in.
What else is going on that may have slipped under the radar?
💠Hapag-Lloyd extends DP World partnership at Port of Santos
💠HMM, ONE, and Hapag-Lloyd confirm no USTR surcharge application
💠Container salvage operation at Port of Long Beach completed
💠Poland-Belarus border reopens to trade and traffic
💠Dutch cargo ship Minervagracht targeted in Gulf of Aden attack
💠CMA CGM starts operations in Samoa this week
💠Southern Ports provides 66,000 community meals
💠Greece unveils $680 million plan to modernise ports
💠Amazon Australia launches new logistics hub in Western Sydney
💠Panama Canal implements disruption charge
💠Seacon enters container leasing with $67m acquisition of CIMC unit
💠Houthis release sanctions list targeting companies and individuals
💠Perth Airport publishes Master Plan 2026
💠Australia–UAE CEPA officially comes into effect
💠First cruise vessel docks at KMSB facility in Port of Broome
💠Maersk Joins 50 Owners in Retrofit Push
💠Tribunal Backs DP World in Djibouti Port Seizure Battle
💠Darwin Port releases 30-year Master Plan amid concerns over new pilotage rules
Wishing everyone a great weekend. And a quick reminder for those in ACT, NSW, South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria – daylight savings begins this Sunday!