Two US-flagged Maersk Ships Turn Around in Red Sea After Explosions

Shipping company Maersk said on Wednesday two U.S.-flagged vessels transiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait northbound had turned around after seeing explosions nearby.

The vessels and crew were unharmed and were being escorted back to the Gulf of Aden by the U.S. Navy, Maersk said.

US-led Forces in Red Sea will be Defensive ‘Highway Patrol’

The longer container lines detour from the Red Sea around the Cape of Good Hope, the more vessel capacity will be soaked up, and the higher freight rates will go. Rates are already rebounding. New surcharges just announced by ocean carriers imply freight costs are headed higher still.

Container lines have a perfectly valid reason to avoid going through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait from a corporate governance perspective: They cannot guarantee the safety of their seafarers, ships or cargo due to indiscriminate attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels...

A Collaborative Data Agreement is Signed by Five Ports in California

A recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement was signed with five ports in California including the ports of Los Angeles (number one in trade volume in 2022), Long Beach, San Diego, Oakland and Hueneme.

A statement from the Port of LA said the agreement is designed “to jointly advance computerized and cloud-based data interoperability with a common goal of supporting improved freight system resilience, goods movement efficiency, emissions reduction and economic competitiveness.”

The common goal of this MOU agreement is to support improved freight system resilience, goods movement...