Demand has been especially strong in the U.S., where retailers and other importers are stocking up at warehouses amid worries about new tariffs a possible dockworkers strike.

The Panama Canal Authority has increased the draft in the waterway to a maximum 50 feet and will allow 36 vessels a day to transit.

Hardware is a particularly sensitive arena given the U.S. and China are locked in a conflict over key technologies from semiconductors to artificial intelligence.

The Railway Association of Canada says that more than half of the country's exports are moved by rail, in addition to 70% of its intercity surface freight.

The EU's draft says that the proposed tariffs are still subject to change, as it gathers feedback and comments from its member states. 

Ahead of looming deadlines, it's unclear whether either situation will resolve in time to avert these twin crises, or how long any potential work stoppages might last.

Walmart Marketplace sellers can now use the retailer’s ocean shipping service to transport China-made goods to the company’s U.S. fulfillment center network.

The investment will contribute to the development of infrastructure, and play a vital role in boosting Pakistan's economy, said Pakistan’s Minister for Maritime Affairs, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh.

Both companies said their gradual shutdown would ensure hazardous and vulnerable shipments aren’t stranded if a settlement isn’t reached by August 22.

China pointed to national security as the driving factor behind the move, given that antimony can be used in explosives and nuclear weapons.