The Mercury Group

** Special Alert - Illinois River ** 2025 Illinois River 55-Day Closure of Lockport Lock (14 Jan 2025 through 11 March 2025, mile 291) Contact The Mercury Group for integrated rail / transload / truck freight alternatives to reach areas where barge freight wont be available during the closure! Per Navigation Notice #206022 from the US Army Corps of Engineers, the complete and total closure of the Lockport Lock at mile 291 will begin January 14 and remain closed until March 11. Marine operations on the Illinois River will be severely impacted by this closure. This closure directly affects all ports in the “Chicagoland” area: Chicago, Lemont, Romeoville, Willow Springs, Alsip, Blue Island, Lake Calumet, Whiting, Gary, Argo, etc. #illinoisriver #barge #railfreight #railroads #supplychain #logistics #metals #steel #commodities #energy #agriculture #trade #commerce #mississippiriver #transportation #maritime #freight #chicago #illinois #indiana #neworleans CSX Norfolk Southern Union Pacific Railroad CPKC BNSF Railway Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Port of New Orleans New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB) CN

The HC Commodities Podcast | Ep 223 | COP29: Article 6 and Transforming the Carbon Markets with Nick Marshall 🔊 Listen to the episode here: https://lnkd.in/ddU3Cinp In mid-November, at COP29 Azerbaijan, momentous decisions could be made that would advance the carbon markets globally. What are they and what are the chances of that happening? What is the state of the carbon market today? Speaking to our host Paul Chapman on this episode is Nick Marshall, co-founder of TASC, a project developer focused on channelling funds into carbon reduction projects around the world. 🎙Apple: https://lnkd.in/duRkXSz9 🎙Spotify: https://lnkd.in/d7JCTkmt #COP29 #Article6 #CarbonMarkets #Carbon #Sustainability #CommodityTrading #Commodities HC Group is a global search firm dedicated to the energy and commodities markets. Learn more about our Renewables talent practice: https://lnkd.in/eUjJxJYZ

Join Paige Carter, our Recruiting & Marketing Specialist, as she starts her day and showcases the essential tasks of a freight broker. Discover how brokers maintain customer satisfaction and how mentorship plays a vital role in success! 🌟 What "Day in the Life" video do you want to see next? 🐝👀 #customerexperience #freightbroker #dayinthelife

Freight Rate Declines Open Big Savings for Metal Buyers After ILA Strike MetalMiner Stuart Burns Importers bringing in products via the East and Gulf Coast ports breathed a huge sigh of relief after the quick resolution of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike. Freight logistics concerns quickly dropped off the internal worry radar for many, who instead shifted their focus to competing priorities. However, ignoring freight would be a mistake, as rates have steadily declined. Despite the hiccup caused by the ILA strike, buyers can actively secure reductions and take advantage of significant cost-saving opportunities. Suppliers rarely offer discounts, especially to regular clients, because they see a softening cost market as a chance to improve their margins. So, while metal prices have firmed in recent weeks, buyers can use the drop in freight rates to offset those cost increases. #ships #maritime #containershipping #logistics #transportation #supplychain #freight #oceanfreight #cargo #ports #shipping #trade #commerce #business #shipsandshipping #globaltrade #unions #strike

Port Labor Talks May Hinge on Presidential Election Results Facing a mid-January deadline to reach a new contract, the longshore union and port employers set negotiations to resume next month The Wall Street Journal Paul Berger Unionized dockworkers and employers at a swath of U.S. ports set their first bargaining since a recent strike for after a presidential election that could scramble the dynamics in negotiations. The two sides said they would start talks next month toward a new six-year labor agreement covering U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast ports. A shipping industry official said the employers expect to meet union officials in mid-November. “We said it makes no sense to go into conversations without knowing what we’re working with in terms of the U.S. government, which played such an active role to get us to this point,” the official said. #ports #supplychain #longshoremen #labor #strike #congress #politics #maritime #transportation #logistics #technology

Loaded, strapped & ready to start rolling. Happy Monday🐝 Beemac Logistics #Monday #Truck #Loaded

Have you put off an expensive home repair or remodeling job due to high interest costs? You're not alone. After booming during the pandemic, spending on residential repairs and renovations has declined for the first time since the aftermath of the 2008 mortgage meltdown. Lately, the highest borrowing costs in a generation slowed home sales, which generate a lot of trips to The Home Depot, and made it expensive to tap home equity to pay for big jobs. “We think there’s $30 billion in remodeling spending just sitting on the sidelines today, waiting to be spent,” said Matt Saunders, senior vice president of building products research at John Burns Research and Consulting. The good news for sawmills, hardware stores, paint makers and contractors is that analysts expect a rebound this time next year to near record remodeling spending. The reasoning behind this forecast is that lower interest rates should make it cheaper for Americans to tap the mountain of home equity they've amassed to pay for their new kitchens and dream decks. Read more about the forecast for this reliable source of economic activity and stock-market gains in The Wall Street Journal today.

Zero carbon ammonia for shipping faces cost, safety challenges Reuters Jeslyn Lerh SINGAPORE, Oct 28 - At one of the world's biggest bulk export ports in Western Australia, shippers safely completed the first transfer of ammonia from one vessel to another last month, a key test for its adoption as a marine fuel in the push for cleaner energy. The first cargo ships that would be powered by ammonia are set to enter service in 2026, one of several alternatives the industry is tapping to shrink a carbon footprint accounting for nearly 3% of global emissions. But ammonia faces major cost and safety hurdles as a shipping fuel compared to others, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), methanol, and biofuels. Ammonia's appeal is that it is carbon free, and would be a zero emission fuel if made from hydrogen produced with renewable electricity. But safety is a big challenge for the product typically used for fertilisers and explosives. "Currently the lack of regulation, experience in use and toxicity of ammonia on board ships constitute major safety deterrents," said Laure Baratgin, head of commercial operations at mining giant Rio Tinto (RIO.L), opens new tab. #ships #shipping #ammonia #fuel #energy #transportation #emissions #carbon #environment #supplychain #logistics #maritime

China Tightens Its Hold on Minerals Needed to Make Computer Chips Already the dominant producer of rare minerals, Beijing is using export restrictions and its power over state-owned companies to further control access. The New York Times Keith Bradsher The vise-tight grip that China wields over the mining and refining of rare minerals, crucial ingredients of today’s most advanced technologies, is about to become even stronger. In a series of steps made in recent weeks, the Chinese government has made it considerably harder for foreign companies, particularly semiconductor manufacturers, to purchase the many rare earth metals and other minerals mined and refined mainly in China. Already, China produces almost all the world’s supply of these materials. The new restrictions solidify that market dominance. #china #mining #minerals #metals #technology #politics #commodities #markets #rareearths #geopolitics #semiconductors