Freight transportation reports, projects and other news from outside North America (9/15/2026)

Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd & the Suez Canal

"After a thorough assessment of the security situation in the Red Sea area, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd announced that the AE19 and AE15 services will now transit via the Suez Canal rather than the Cape of Good Hope. These targeted changes mark a measured step towards a gradual return to the trans-Suez corridor, however they do not represent a wider return of the East-West network at this stage." — Maersk Europe Market Update September 2026, issued Sept. 9

'Port congestion in Asia pushes carriers back to Suez,' container logistics company says

Asia-Europe container freight rates are declining as port congestion in Asia prompts ocean carriers back toward the Suez Canal, according to Italian container logistics company Sogese's September Europe Container Market Update. Drewry's 3 September World Container Index put the Shanghai-Genoa rate at $4,368 per 40-foot container, down 10% week over week, while Shanghai-Rotterdam fell 5% to $4,092, Sorgese officials said on Sept. 8. Blank sailings on the Asia-Europe trade are set to drop from four to one next week, an early sign of capacity returning to the market, they added. “The container market is becoming increasingly fragmented by trade corridor, with freight rates, cargo demand and available capacity moving in different directions across major routes," said Sogese CEO Andrea Monti. "Asia-Europe rates have started to soften from their mid-year highs while transpacific markets remain firmer, prompting carriers to adjust individual services and vessel deployments rather than manage capacity uniformly across their networks.”

Continental drift? Europe overtakes Asia as world’s largest railway industries market — SCI Verkehr study

“We are seeing interesting shifts in the global market. Europe is experiencing above-average growth thanks to major investments in rail networks and rolling stock fleets, even though European freight transport is under massive pressure. Asia has slipped from first to second place because the Chinese market is losing momentum and the growth gap cannot be bridged by the emerging but comparatively smaller Asian rail markets such as India and Southeast Asia.” — Alexander Borchers, managing director of SCI Verkehr GmbH, in a Sept. 15 preview of a study titled "Worldwide Market for Railway Industries 2026"

Chile: Record BYD electric/hybrid vehicle shipment delivered to DP World terminal

DP World recently handled the largest single maritime delivery of new energy vehicles to Chile, with 1,918 fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles discharged at its multipurpose terminal in San Antonio, Chile.  The arrival also marked the first call by a BYD car carrier at a Chilean port, with the BYD Changzhou visiting the country as part of its inaugural route to South America, DP World officials said on Sept. 10. In Chile, electric vehicle sales increased 165.4% year over year in the first half of 2026, with plug-in vehicles reaching 6.5% of the country's new light- and medium-duty vehicle market, according to the Chilean Automotive Association.

Australia: Port traffic flat in August

Pilbara Ports, which comprises the Australian ports of Ashburton, Dampier, Port Hedland and Varanus Island, reported throughput of 65.9 million tons (Mt) in August, which represented during "no percentage increase or decrease compared to August 2025," Pilbara Ports officials said on Sept. 11. The Port of Port Hedland recorded monthly throughput of 47.4Mt (46.6Mt of which was iron ore exports), a 5% increase compared with the same 2025 period. Imports through the Port of Port Hedland totaled 179,000 tons, a 2% decrease. The Port of Dampier delivered a total throughput of 14.8Mt, an 8% decrease. Imports through the Port of Dampier totaled 117,000 tons, a 2% increase.

New Zealand: Volume growth drives record profit in FY2026 for Port of Auckland

The Port of Auckland posted "significant volume growth" for the fiscal year ending June 30, port officials said on Aug. 27. Twenty-foot equivalent unit throughput was up 5.5%, car volumes 17.7% and roll-on roll-off tonnage up 27.2%, contributing to a record underlying net profit after tax of $111.2 million, up 30%. "The result reflects a relentless focus on safety, disciplined cost management, consistent operational performance and stronger customer partnerships, while reinforcing the port’s role as a critical economic asset for Auckland, supporting trade, jobs and regional growth," port officials said, adding that the port's board declared a $55 million dividend to Auckland Council, up from $52 million in FY2025

Bangladesh: APM breaks ground on $550 million terminal

APM Terminals recently broke ground on the $550 million Laldia Container Terminal in Chattogram, Bangladesh. Developed through a Bangladesh–Denmark Government-to-Government partnership, the terminal will offer capacity of 800,000 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) and welcome vessels of up to 6,000 TEUs — more than double the current 2,800 TEU limit — when its operational in 2030, APM officials said on Aug. 31. Designed with a deeper draft and an extended quay, APM Terminals Laldia is being delivered in partnership with the Chittagong Port Authority and local partner QNS Container Services Ltd. 

Germany: At the Port of Hamburg, empty containers are shifting to rail

The Hamburg Container and Chassis Repair Co. (HCCR) continues to move more empty containers by rail, Port of Hamburg officials said on Aug. 27. About 20,000 twenty-foot equivalent units last were transported by rail from the Hamburg depot on Altenwerder Damm to the hinterland, a total that should be eclipsed this year. Customers are "increasingly making use of this service to consolidate large quantities of empty containers at the HCCR depot and load them efficiently onto block trains," port officials said.

The uptick is based in part on the reactivation of a previously decommissioned railway siding on the HCCR site. The company recommissioned the track in 2015 and completed its comprehensive refurbishment in 2022. Since then, the volume of cargo handled by rail has risen steadily, port officials said. Now, the facility can handle block trains up to 720 meters long carrying 100 containers at a time.

“By shifting the transport of empty containers to rail, we are relieving pressure on road traffic in the Port of Hamburg and on German motorways," said HCCR Managing Director Jens Gutsch. "At the same time, we are making an important contribution to reducing emissions and strengthening the sustainability of the connection between the Port of Hamburg and its hinterland."