Support our non-partisan non-profit newsroom 💜 Donate now

Despite problems in the Red Sea and Panama Canal, shipping costs are falling

Feb 19, 2024
Carriers are figuring out how to reduce risk and deal with disruptions caused by the Houthis' attacks and low water levels in shipping lanes.
The international shipping industry appears to have been able to manage the risks posed by recent disruptions.
Martin Bernetti/AFP via Getty Images

As war and drought throttle supply chains, importers reopen pandemic playbooks

Jan 29, 2024
Firms that import goods are returning to pandemic-era strategies to brace their businesses against delays and higher shipping costs.
Because of ongoing delays, some importers are stocking up on goods and passing along price hikes.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

FedEx and UPS hike prices for 2024, but not as much

Sep 11, 2023
Shipping companies need to cover their higher costs, but there's a limit to how much they can pass on to customers.
Carriers like UPS and FedEx know there is a limit to how much they can raise prices, said Jason Miller of Michigan State.
Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

Two booksellers searching for used books and a storefront

Aug 10, 2022
"We actually love the physical retail experience," says Chris Capizzi, who co-owns A Good Used Book with his wife, Jenny Yang.
Jenny Yang, left, and Chris Capizzi are co-owners of A Good Used Book.
Courtesy Dale Samson

Pay or delay: Importers caught in shipping backup face limited options

Oct 8, 2021
“There’s nothing I can do,” said India Hynes, CEO of appliance importer Vinotemp.
Stacks of shipping containers at the Port of Oakland in California. "Containers aren't unloaded at the port level, and the factories are hesitant to produce," laments India Hynes, CEO of Vinotemp.
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images

Making gelato e-commerce friendly is like starting a new business

Jun 18, 2021
Uli Nasibova of Uli's Gelato in Los Angeles, sees her future online, but getting there could mean some trial and error.
"I spent the first six or seven months creating an e-commerce solution for shipping my gelato, and the economics of that already aged," says Uli Nasibova, owner of Uli's Gelato.
Nina Uemurasachi

Inflation watch: Shipping container rates and prices soar on U.S. customer demand

Mar 17, 2021
Clogged U.S. ports don't just mean a longer wait time for you, the consumer. They also mean ripple effects for Chinese exporters.
Shipping traffic jams in North American are creating a container shortage in China, where almost all containers are manufactured.
STR/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

One-day shipping is really costly for Amazon. But it's used to that.

Feb 3, 2020
To get customers their orders faster, Amazon spent an additional $1 billion in its latest quarter.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Free shipping has hidden costs

Apr 15, 2016
In his new book, “Door to Door,” Edward Humes uncovers the surprising details of global transportation.
Saul Loeb (Getty Images)

The steel business is trying to stay strong

Aug 25, 2015
A strong U.S. dollar makes exports tough.