Container shipping rates on intra-Asia trades have fallen to their lowest level in four years, according to the Container Freight Rate Insight which is updated weekly and published by global shipping consultancy Drewry.

Japanese freight carrier Kintetsu World Express Inc. is buying Singapore's APL Logistics for $1.2bn, paying a higher than anticipated price for an overseas deal at a time of slow domestic growth.

With most holiday merchandise safely in the country despite significant congestion impacting West Coast ports, import cargo volume at the nation's major retail container ports is expected to continue to slow down this month, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

The International Maritime Organization has decided to make it mandatory to weigh loaded containers before they are transported by sea. The initiative is designed to enhance safety and prevent pollution of the marine environment.

The operational performance of the world's container terminals shows wide variation depending on location, terminal size and traffic type, according to the Container Terminal Capacity and Performance Benchmarks report published by shipping consultancy Drewry.

Container shipping companies were urged to raise Asia-U.S. freight rates by at least $600 per 40-foot container (FEU) with effect from Aug. 1, their organization TSA said on Wednesday.