Jensen, who has been critical of the decision by ocean carriers to heavily invest in 18,000 TEU ships and larger says ports and terminals who upgraded to accommodate the mega-container ships are now paying the price with higher debt at a time of economic recession.
Trump’s activation of Defense Production Act could expedite delivery of medical supplies, support jobs and investments in infrastructure, transportation, manufacturing and renewable energy.
A regulatory saga that for several years has plagued a major container terminal project proposed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) is showing no signs of abating, and a final decision by the Canadian federal government has been delayed until November in light of the circumstances surrounding COVID-19.
On April 16th, the Port of Oakland hosted Mediterranean Shipping Company’s MSC Anna, a 19,200 20-foot container ship, which is one of the largest container ships ever to dock at a North American port.
At the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Weston LaBar, president of the Harbor Trucking Association says that there have been no reported COVID-19 cases among drivers and that marine terminals and trucking companies have been working together to source protective gear and sanitary supplies for drivers.
The United States is facing an unprecedented demand-side crisis as a result of the Coronavirus shutting down major sectors of the economy crippling prospects for recovery, increasing dislocations for trucking and more downturns at ports, warehouses and distribution centers, according to Jock O’Connell, an economist with the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA) and Beacon Economics.