The Port of Long Beach, Calif., is riding a wave of six straight months of record volumes to head toward 9.6 million twenty foot equivalent units (TEU) in 2024, breaking a record for container volumes set during the pandemic in 2021. The second-busiest U.S. import gateway reported its best November on record, handling 884,154 TEUs, an increase of 20.9% from the same month a year ago and ahead of the previous record set in November 2020 by 12.8%.  Loaded imports gained 21.8% to 432,823 TEUs while loaded exports were 9.5% better at 119,083 TEUs from November 2023. Empty containers reached 332,250 TEUs, up 24.5%.  It was the sixth consecutive monthly year-over-year cargo increase.

  NEW YORK – The Benesch private equity in transportation conference held each December brings together a huge swath of key private equity, venture capital and general dealmakers focused for a full day of discussion on the state of the market for buying and selling logistics companies. Formally the “Investing in the Transportation & Logistics Industry Conference,” the event has witnessed in its four years of existence (it informally succeeded a similar New York gathering) the strongest freight market in recent history, followed by a spectacular collapse that led panelists in previous years to caution owners that if they wanted to sell their companies, they had better  get real about their valuations. But the 2024 gathering held earlier this month may have marked a turning point. General sentiment is that the market for logistics and transportation properties has probably reached its nadir and there’s plenty of pent-up capital looking for a place to go – but changes in poli...

   Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has issued a decree that effectively ended the popular “border-skipping” strategy many U.S. e-commerce sellers used to avoid tariffs on Chinese goods. This decision, which was announced on Dec. 19 and took effect immediately, primarily targets apparel imports and is set to have far-reaching consequences for the industry. The border-skipping strategy For years, U.S. companies have been importing goods from China to Mexico, shipping them one order at a time to the U.S., effectively avoiding tariffs under the Section 321 provision. This loophole allowed for duty-free entry of shipments valued at $800 or less, making it an attractive option for e-commerce businesses looking to minimize costs. The reliance on the “border-skipping” strategy was substantial among U.S. e-commerce companies, with many opting to fulfill orders to U.S. consumers from Mexico. This approach enabled businesses to leverage Mexico’s advantageous cost structures, includin...

NEW YORK – The Benesch private equity in transportation conference held each December brings together a huge swath of key private equity, venture capital and general dealmakers focused for a full day of discussion on the state of the market for buying and selling logistics companies. Formally the “Investing in the Transportation & Logistics Industry Conference,” the event has witnessed in its four years of existence (it informally succeeded a similar New York gathering) the strongest freight market in recent history, followed by a spectacular collapse that led panelists in previous years to caution owners that if they wanted to sell their companies, they had better get real about their valuations. But the 2024 gathering held earlier this month may have marked a turning point. General sentiment is that the market for logistics and transportation properties has probably reached its nadir and there’s plenty of pent-up capital looking for a place to go – but changes in political gover...