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

Container Market: G6 proposes mega-boxship orders -The G6 liner alliance is planning to outdo P3, its main rival, by ordering even larger container ships than Maersk's Triple-E which can carry 18,000 (TEU) twenty equivalent foot-long units.

According to TradeWinds, G6 are considering up to 20 vessels over 19,000 TEU as analysts profess cost efficiencies, based on larger cargo volumes per ship, and economies of scale are crucial for G6 to successfully compete on the Asia-Europe trade routes with P3.

Alphaliner data shows that currently the average size of P3 ships is around 10,300 TEU in comparison 8,200 TEU for G6. The deal is expected to continue to fuel market overcapacity, with analysts believing that 21,000 TEU can be the absolute maximum size given yard and port constraints; however plans for 23,000 TEU ships have been drawn up.

Dry Bulk Newbuilds: Newbuild orders up 72% in March -Dry bulk newbuild market investment soared 72% year-on-year in March as some 140 vessels were ordered, up from 81 bulkers last year.

Statistics shows that 113 of the vessels are to be built in China with the most popular builds being Ultramaxes and Kamsarmaxes with 47 and 36 orders respectively.

Asian owners account for over half of March's orders following growing optimism from the large improvement in freight rates towards the end of 2013.

Infrastructure: Panama Canal hit by further strike action -The Panama Canal expansion works have once again been stopped, according to SeaTrade Global.

An indefinite nationwide strike has been called by the main construction union in the country, the Construction Workers National Union, who are demanding higher wages for their members. The canal expansion works are already 14 months behind schedule due to previous difficulties and Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC), the European consortium building the third set of new locks, said in a statement that "construction workers, union members are heeding the call to strike.

For more on each of the above and other stories click the downloadable PDF IMDO Weekly Markets Review (Week 17). In addition to coverage on Afloat.ie's dedicated Ports & Shipping News section.