The DCN

Delivering reliability has been a great challenge for operators around the world since the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. DCN spoke with customs brokers and freight forwarders impacted …

DCN speaks with Maritime Industry Australia chief executive Angela Gillham about maritime careers, the West Australian southwest coast and which Australian she considers truly inspirational. How did you come to …

THE ARRANGEMENTS around the liability of each party involved in the movement of cargo by air are well established. One of the most famous aspects of this framework, the Warsaw …

TWO MEXICAN nationals have been charged over the alleged import of $185 million worth of methamphetamine in a shipping container brought into Sydney. An investigation began earlier this month after …

BLIND spots, fatigue and managing disruptions were some of the key topics discussed on the second morning of the Australasian Marine Pilotage Institute (AMPI) conference in Darwin. Andrew Baker from …

A MOBILE shiploader is opening doors to new clients at the Port of Esperance in Western Australia’s south. Locally owned and operated grain export business, Esperance Quality Grains has made …

PORT of Melbourne (PoM) achieved a second consecutive year of record container throughput in 2025, topping 3.5 million TEU despite global trade volatility. PoM today [16 June] released its inaugural …

THE WORLD Bank Container Port Performance Index for 2025 has just been released and it is showing some interesting trends. For instance, our top performer, Bell Bay, with a total …

TIGHTENING capacity, earlier peak season demand and rising rates are putting increasing pressure on air and ocean supply chains in the strong Asia Pacific region, according to two DHL air …

THE AMPI Regional Ports & Pilotage Conference got underway with a Sunday evening welcome event at Frangipani Plaza, Darwin Convention Centre. Guests and delegates networked over drinks, with entertainment including …

THE BALTIC Dry Index (BDI) continued trending downwards, finishing at 2729 points for 12 June 2026, down from 5 June's figure of 2981. Capesize The market endured a challenging week, …

A NEAR-grounding that could have blocked Port Hedland’s main shipping channel was caused by a faulty main engine switch on a Fortescue capesize bulker, the ATSB has found. In its …

THE WEST Australian state government is heralding the first export of locally produced Bravo apples to China. In a media release it said the initial 80 tonne consignment is set …

LESSONS from pilotage accidents and avoiding hazards were features of the first morning of the Australasian Marine Pilots Institute conference in Darwin. The AMPI Regional Ports & Pilotage Conference is …

WHILE China-Australia container rates again rose for Week 24 — this time by another 6% — South East Asia freights also lifted by 6%, after literally months in the doldrums. …

WESTERN Australia’s five port authorities will combine to offer start-ups an opportunity to pitch ideas for port safety, efficiency and security. The opportunity will be part of this year’s West …

AUSTRALIA’S export engine room is facing simultaneous industrial disputes, with strikes at Inpex’s Ichthys LNG project continuing after a Fair Work Commission ruling, and BHP workers at Port Hedland voting …

SEVEN Pacific Island nations have joined forces to overhaul domestic shipping across Oceania. The Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership (PBSP) has been created by ministers from Fiji, the Federated States of …

TRADITIONALLY, the Federal Government releases its federal budget for the forthcoming financial year in May each year. It is a “whole of Government” document which includes a “report card” on …

THE DREWRY World Container Index (WCI), the benchmark widely referenced by procurement teams, increased 3% to $3,549 per 40ft container due to rate increases on the Transpacific and Asia–Europe trade …

A $2.5m investment in upgraded training facilities at TAFE NSW Wetherill Park by the government of New South Wales has been welcomed by the Australian Logistics Council. The money is …

NORTHERN Australia specialist Sea Swift has given the ACCC a court-enforceable undertaking after the Commission found elements of shipper contracts were anti-competitive. The ACCC was concerned elements of Sea Swift’s …

KOOLAN Island off the Kimberley coast of WA is set to become a logistics hub catering for offshore industry following the purchase of MGX Resources iron ore operation by Crestlink. …

WORKERS at BHP’s Port Hedland operations have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action, setting the scene for disruption at Australia’s most important bulk export gateway. Media outlets The West Australian …

RIO TINTO has quietly sold two of its 'owned' Newcastlemax bulk carriers, marking a rare adjustment to the mining giant’s tightly held marine fleet and prompting speculation about a broader …

CIVIL works for electric vehicle transport company NewVolt's first site in Melbourne's Laverton North are set to start in about a month. It will be Australia's first open access electric …

I AM still trying to decide what was more unexpected this week: four mullets in a five person checkout queue at my local Coles, or the speed at which freight …

BELL Bay in northern Tasmania has again been deemed Australia’s leading container terminal, in a report from the World Bank that seemingly places much value on export and transhipment. The …

THIS month, I want to focus on a topic that has been raised repeatedly in industry discussions and that several stakeholders have specifically asked me to investigate more deeply. These …

WHILE Australian end-users have yet to throw their weight behind several proposed LNG import projects in southern and eastern ports the New Zealand government has shortlisted two facilities it says …

THE Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association has appointed Ben Maguire AM as its new executive director, marking a significant leadership transition for the national peak body representing livestock and …

A NEW transport and logistics hub at Northam, around 100 kilometres east of Perth, scheduled for a December completion, has been delayed until November 2027. Director corporate affairs and business …

MELBOURNE Avalon Airport is looking to establish a direct air freight corridor between Australia and Saudi Arabia, signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Australia Saudi Logistics Alliance (ASL …

A MEMORANDUM of understanding between DHL Express and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) is aimed at facilitating small business trade among ASEAN member states. The initiative is said to …

TOLL Group has announced the appointment of Robert Reiter as group managing director, effective 1 July. He is to assume the role in addition to his current position as president …

AUSTAL Ships has launched the first of six Evolved Cape–class Patrol Boats (ECCPB) for the Australian Border Force (ABF). In early May, Austal’s original contract to build four of the …

Quiet pressure building across our profession. Customs brokers are being pushed, with increasing urgency, toward automation, digital platforms, and AI-driven workflows. We are fewer in number, we are ageing as …

NORTHERN Australia–based fleet‑management company Norship will play a key role in expanding Cairns as a major defence support base. The Queensland state government has awarded Norship $5.37 million to expand …

JULY 26 has been set as the official opening date for the Western Sydney Airport integrated cargo precinct, a project expected to be a boon for both importers and exporters. …

UNIONS are escalating industrial action across Inpex’s Ichthys LNG project — which spans offshore facilities in Western Australia’s Browse Basin and onshore processing operations near Darwin in the Northern Territory …

THE BALTIC Dry Index (BDI) dropped again last week, finishing at 2981 points for 6 June 2026, down from 29 May's figure of 3224. Capesize The market closed the week …

NSW Ports chief executive Marika Calfas has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the King’s Birthday 2026 Honours List General Division. Ms Calfas was recognised …

NEPTUNE Pacific Direct Line, now headquartered in Singapore under newish managing director Kim A Kristensen, has officially reverted to Neptune Pacific Line in what is described as “as an evolution …

QUEENSLAND-headquartered Leeward Group is retiring its Nautical Shipping agency network and transferring key principal Grimaldi Group to Quay Shipping. This follows Singapore’s SeaLead’s termination of its Australian container service, announced …

HUTCHISON Ports Sydney has this week welcomed the arrival of two giant new Quay Cranes to its ;Port Botany container terminal. According to Hutchison, these cranes are built to service …

GLOBAL air cargo spot rates rose 41% in May but industry analysts Xeneta say some relief may be on the way for shippers. May’s average global spot rate of USD …

SPIRIT OF TASMANIA V relocated from Melbourne’s Station Pier to Hobart’s Macquarie Wharf over the weekend to begin hosting as a venue for MONA’s Dark Mofo festival, after which it …

INDUSTRIAL action by the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) at BHP’s iron‑ore export operations at Port Hedland could cost millions of dollars per day. The ETU has confirmed its members at …

ANDREW Newman has been announced as the new executive director of Freight Victoria, filling a role that has been vacant since earlier in the year. In a written statement, deputy …

THE DREWRY World Container Index (WCI) surged 23% to $3,433 per 40ft container due to rate increases on the Transpacific and Asia–Europe trade routes. Drewry has received confirmation from multiple …