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NAFTZ’s Irmen Witnesses Zones’ Changing Role

By Melissa Irmen Q: How is the current U.S. free-trade zone environment materially different from the underutilized expansion era of the late 1980s/early 1990s? A: The 1980s saw key congressional changes to the program that increased its usage in manufacturing in the U.S. In that span, the U.S. FTZ program expanded rapidly, helping manufacturers overcome tariff disadvantages that often favored imported finished goods over domestic production. U.S. FTZs supported investment and job ... [+]

What Matters When Entrusting Supply Chain to AI

By Jordan Kass When Transportation Management Systems first emerged in the 1990s, shippers were excited about the promise of technology that could operate their supply chains. But as with all tech tools, they quickly realized these systems weren’t exactly the easy button they hoped for. A ... [+]

Galveston Cargo Berth Wraps $106M expansion

The Port of Galveston has officially opened its new cargo berth at the West Port Cargo Complex, marking the completion of a US$106 million expansion designed to accommodate growing roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro), breakbulk and project cargo volumes. The new 1,410-foot berth at Pier 39-40 welcomed its first ... [+]

Service Parts Strategy Moves into Boardroom

Manufacturers are investing heavily in spare parts inventories, but many still struggle to meet customer service expectations, according to a new analysis arguing that network design – not inventory levels – is becoming the real competitive differentiator. Drawing on published academic and industry research, the analysis ... [+]

Coal Surges on China Imports, Aids Panamax Market

Global coal shipments rose 14 percent year over year in June, helping lift panamax freight rates as stronger Chinese import demand combined with continued energy supply disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz, according to BIMCO. The shipping association said coal shipments to China jumped 41 ... [+]

Market Signals: Freight indexes Point to Early Peak

EDITOR’S NOTE: Freight Business Journal North America’s Peak Season Forecast 2026 in the July-August issue brings together leading market analysts and logistics executives to examine whether the current freight rally has staying power, the indicators they are watching most closely, and what shippers should expect ... [+]

Peak Season Gives Way to Demand Waves, Rhenus

Editor’s note: This article is the first in a series examining the forces reshaping the 2026 shipping peak season. FBJNA’s comprehensive Peak Season Forecast will appear in the July/August issue. The traditional summer-to-fall peak shipping season is giving way to a more volatile pattern of year-round ... [+]

BIMCO: Container Fleet Growth Outpaces Demand

Even if geopolitical tensions continue to disrupt global shipping, the container market is likely to weaken over the next 18 months as rapid fleet expansion outpaces cargo demand, according to BIMCO’s latest Container Shipping Market Overview & Outlook. BIMCO Chief Shipping Analyst Niels Rasmussen outlines two ... [+]

Project Gives Baltimore Stacktrain Clearance

The Port of Baltimore can now move double-stacked container trains for the first time following completion of the $495 million Howard Street Tunnel Project, a milestone state officials say will expand the port’s container business, improve inland connectivity and create thousands of jobs. Maryland Gov. Wes ... [+]

AI Spend Shifts to Infrastructure, Baker Tilly

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is reshaping investment priorities, with capital increasingly flowing toward the physical infrastructure needed to support AI rather than the applications themselves, according to a new Baker Tilly report. The firm’s Investment Monitor: AI & Digital Infrastructure concludes that data centers, ... [+]

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