Suez Canal Events Highlight the "Big Ship Problem"

Evey Hwang, CBFANC President

“Bigger is not always better”  The trend of mega-ships have dramatically changed shipping practices.  In a NY Times article “the shift to bigger ships also coincided with and contributed to industry consolidation that has both limited competition among shipping giants and made the world more vulnerable to supply disruptions.”   The larger ships take longer to load and longer to unladen cargo.    The mega-ships have caused other expensive expansions – dredging deeper channels, raising bridges, and in Port of Oakland, the recent installation of three 1600 cranes to receive…bigger ships!   With trade experts saying the Ever Given disrupting supply chain for months after, one really big ship sure caused one really big problem.