Port of Houston Receives USDA Approval for Cold-Treated Produce Shipments
The Port recently received approval to handle cold-treated produce shipments, which they say could allow the port to receive more of the area’s refrigerated goods business.
Under the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regulations, fresh produce imports can expedite entry into the U.S. without additional inspection provided the cargo has been consistently maintained at a specified temperature during transit to eradicate pests.
This approval allows the port to provide more services to their customers, especially those in the refrigerated goods sector. This approval allows the port to provide more services to their customers, especially those in the refrigerated goods sector. Other major U.S. ports that have this APHIS authorization include New York-New Jersey, Savannah, and Philadelphia.
Suez Canal Revenue Plunges $2 Billion Amid Red Sea Challenges
In Fiscal Year 2023/2024, the Suez Canal saw its revenue drop to $7.2 billion, down 23% from the previous year’s $9.4 billion, per Maritime-Executive. Total tonnage passing through the canal declined by one-third, and the number of transits fell by around 22% year-over-year.
The long diversion around Africa has absorbed most excess tonnage on the market, driving spot rates back up. The schedule changes from this detour create “bunching” at key transshipment ports, leading to port congestion as far away as Singapore. Vessel deployments have also been shuffled and reorganized on trade lanes around the globe in order to free up more tonnage for the Cape of Good Hope route, and this will have a knock-on effect in seemingly unconnected markets.