News & Insights

Our alerts, news and guides embrace all transport modes and explore global developments across all aspects of the supply chain, to keep you informed and guide decision making.

Bangladesh supply chain disruptions

Bangladesh's Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, arrived in India this week following the army's seizure of power after violent riots. This development adds another challenge to global supply chains, with the world’s third-largest garment exporter now experiencing the world’s longest vessel berthi... Read more

Asia westbound market update

Air and sea freight from Asia continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience and growth, fuelled by robust demand, strategic capacity management, and dynamic trade routes, with India recording significant increases, driven by pro-industry government initiatives, eCommerce, and manufacturing growt... Read more

US market update: Navigating high demand and looming strikes

Shippers in the US are currently navigating a particularly challenging landscape, marked by elevated air cargo demand and looming threats of labour strikes on the East and Gulf coasts. Air Cargo Air cargo on the main trade lanes out of Asia remains in peak season mode. The situation is driven... Read more

European market review and group developments

The European freight market continues to face a complex landscape, characterised by fluctuating demand and evolving capacity challenges. In this review, we examine the current state of the road freight market and highlight recent group developments, including the acquisition of a Portuguese inter... Read more

Rising lorry thefts prompt calls for government action

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has urged the government to establish a specific offence for freight crime and to develop more secure truck stops. This call comes in response to organised crime gangs (OCGs) increasingly targeting cargo, with over £1 million worth of goods stolen in a single i... Read more

Import Control System 2

Enhancing supply chain security and safety, Import Control System 2 (ICS2) is the Import Control system for movements both ways between the UK and the EU, including Norway, Switzerland, and Northern Ireland. Based on similar worldwide systems that pre-declare shipments, to determine risk, secu... Read more

Bangladesh Lockdown Easing

Peaceful protests by university students against a government job quota system favouring relatives of war veterans escalated into nationwide violence last week, resulting in over 150 deaths, communication blackouts, and curfews. Today, Bangladesh began to gradually lift the curfew imposed last Th... Read more

Record volumes raise concerns for peak season

Global demand for ocean freight container shipping has surged to unprecedented levels, surpassing even the peak during the Covid pandemic and comes when available capacity is already strained due to diversions around Africa, leading to concerns that any peak season demand could be calamitous. ... Read more

Global IT outage disrupts supply chains

On Friday, a faulty update to Microsoft software by cyber-security firm Crowdstrike, saw global supply chain operations significantly disrupted, with the fallout expected to take weeks to fully resolve. Thousands of flights were grounded or delayed at major air freight hubs in Europe, Asia, an... Read more

SECURITY UPDATE: Red Sea

The recent sinking of the Prestige Falcon oil tanker, following a Houthi attack, marks the deadliest incident involving these strikes to date. The vessel capsized near the Omani coastal city of Duqm, and while the Indian Navy rescued nine of the 16 crew members, one was found deceased, and six... Read more

US port strike threats on East and Gulf Coasts

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) contract with maritime employers, represented by the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), is set to expire on the 30th September 2024 and with under 10 weeks remaining, negotiations have stalled, making a strike increasingly likely.  Any... Read more

Fresh Start for UK Trade

The UK economy has faced significant challenges in recent years, impacted by global economic shocks, but signs of recovery are emerging as GDP growth returns, inflation declines, interest rates fall and consumer confidence grows. Economic projections are indicating a positive outlook, despite ... Read more