The Bradfield Bulletin - 8 August 2025

THIS week started with me at the gym, trying to look cool as I tripped over the stand of an exercise bike. Rather than let that stop me, I picked myself up, avoided all eye contact, and silently prayed no one saw… then carried on like nothing happened 😂.

In some ways, it reminded me of how things can go in shipping - the odd stumble, an unexpected bump, but we dust ourselves off and keep things moving. That’s the nature of this industry - resilience, a bit of humour, and always pushing forward. If we can’t laugh at ourselves, who can we laugh at?

This will be my chance for an awkward segue into the new US tariffs, the adjusted rates for selected countries, ranging from 10% to 41%, which were announced by President Trump but delayed until coming into force on 7th August. In addition, the US has hit India with an extra 25% tariff, adding further complexity to the global trade landscape.

Analysts note that trade lanes from China to the US have slowed down following the recent surge of front-loaded cargo. Meanwhile, closer to home, volumes between China and Southeast Asia to Australia are steadily rising, bringing with them a gradual increase in freight rates.

Adding to the mix, last week’s typhoon Co-May caused the temporary closure of Shanghai and Ningbo ports. This disruption led to a backlog of over one million TEU anchored in the Yangtze River Delta. That's a lot of containers and even more will be caught up in the knock on effect.

Once again, the weather here has not been kind, we have seen Fremantle Ports evacuated last week and along with several services bypassing scheduled ports in order to make up time.

It’s a bit of a mess, let’s be honest. But it is likely that there is more to come.

So, what else is happening out there? Here's a few things..

By popular demand (well, one person asked for something other than container ships!), here’s a photo of the AAL Dampier, a 149m general cargo/heavy lift vessel currently alongside at Fremantle’s inner harbour, Berth 11.  Note that this very berth is scheduled for a 14 day shutdown from 20 August to 3 September for maintenance.

Now, I don't know too much about this kind of vessel, if you have a fun fact, let me know!

Have a fantastic weekend ahead everyone.

Amanda Bradfield is Head of International Freight & Logistics at Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) and the Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA).