#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below.

Container Market: Global statistics for November In line with market expectations - Container Trade Statistics' latest aggregated volume survey showed that November's global containerised exports declined 4.72% from October to 10,384,800 TEU. Despite the monthly decline November's volumes were up 5.47% year-on-year, indicating that prospects for a sustainable container volume recovery remain quite encouraging.

Technology: Robotic ship debate re-opens - The debate regarding robotic or driverless ships has come to the forefront of the industry's mind once again after the Financial Times reported that aerospace and marine engineering giant, Rolls-Royce, was calling for a "public debate on the switch from crewed cargo vessels to autonomous ships as part of a wider drive by industry to use advanced automation technology".

Infrastructure: Panama Canal construction disputeA severe dispute has broken out regarding the construction of the improved. Work began in 2007 on the expansion, creating a new lane and third set of locks to double the canals capacity,to date the overall project is 72% complete. However severe cost overruns for the European consortium, Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC), have meant they are threatening to stop work from the 20 January unless a payment of $1.6bn is made by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP).

For more on each of the above and other stories click the downloadable PDF IMDO Weekly Markets Review (Week 2). In addition to coverage on Afloat.ie's dedicated Ports & Shipping News section.