Container Growth Causes Delays

Rising container volumes on Asia-Europe and Asia-U.S. ocean lanes have led to delays at some ports. Singapore's PSA terminal reported transhipment volume grew 15% in the first six months of 2004, causing delays of up to 18 hours for ships to dock.

Transshipment volumes at Tanjung Pelapas, Malaysia increased 26% in the first half of 2004 and, in the same period, grew 10% to 15% at Laem Chabang, Thailand.

On U.S. shores, the Union Pacific railroad started turning away cargo and cutting the number of trains it runs in an effort to reduce congestion on its network. The move affects all cargo categories. The UP is facing a peak shipping season with record demand. Earlier this year, UP stopped running three intermodal trains for UPS. UP moved to an allocation system for some shipments through key terminals.