Gridlocked by Growth: Cargo Surplus, Capacity Shortfall 

Electrification of transport and industry, AI data center build-out and expanding demand across emerging markets in South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa are driving global breakbulk and project cargo demand. Solar, wind and battery storage dominate new capacity additions, translating directly into a multi-year pipeline for project cargo with turbines, wind blades, transformers, grid equipment and BESS systems moving in ever-larger volumes to every major region. 

Alongside the surge in demand for power, growing demand from mining for critical minerals, infrastructure development, rebuilds in current conflict zones, and increased investment in oil and gas add to the cargo pipeline.  

But capacity is not keeping pace with mushrooming demand. Ship, truck, railcar, and labour shortages look set to bite across all sectors. A modest MPV orderbook and minimal demolition candidates mean that fleet is already stretched. Factoring in larger orderbooks from other breakbulk-carrying sectors, including container carriers and ro/ro vessels, gives little respite. Further tightening supply, geopolitical issues are forcing ship operators on to longer routes, while port congestion in both Asia and Europe is tying up tonnage. Plus, El Niño is already restricting transits of the Panama Canal, with worse yet to come. 

The Journal of Commerce Breakbulk and Project Cargo Conference 2027 in New Orleans, May 3-5, 2027, will bring together breakbulk and project cargo shippers, ocean and land-based specialized carriers, project forwarders, ports and terminals, and other breakbulk supply chain service providers to pick a path through this complex dichotomy. Conference sessions will include discussions with subject matter experts on geopolitics, energy and the MPV fleet, in-depth panel sessions, focus sessions and our popular interactive project cargo case study. Our trademark stellar high-level networking will be the lifeblood of the event.  

We invite everyone to join us in New Orleans, where, together, we will tackle the issues head on at the world’s most impactful breakbulk and project cargo industry event.