News & Insights

With wildfires across southern Europe and the UK experiencing it’s hottest ever heatwave - with freight trains cancelled and the port of Felixstowe putting their gritters out, to overcome melting roads - we review research from the Supply Chain Management Center at the University of Maryland on... Read more

The public accounts committee said the government has failed to demonstrate the economic benefits of its post-Brexit trade deals and it was doubtful that the government would hit its target of ensuring that 80% of UK trade was covered by a free trade deal by the end of 2022. The UK has signed ... Read more

The operational efficiency of shipping lines are reaching dizzying levels, with the leading carriers generating an average operating margin of 57.4%, versus an average of just -0.2% in the decade preceding the pandemic. All carriers reported higher margins in the latest quarter, compared to 55... Read more

The state of the sea freight market has been a major contributory factor in air freight market demand, since the onset of the COVID pandemic, but that consistent demand has been a challenge too far for many air cargo handlers. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) confirms that th... Read more

With individual district lockdowns and mass testing again underway, the trade press have been reporting that Shanghai could go back into lockdown, which would be a major disruption as we enter the traditional peak season. It’s been just six weeks since Shanghai emerged from its two-month zer... Read more

Metro’s golf day planners’ unintentional clash with the Open championship at St Andrews, proved not to be a critical issue, with competitors excited to be playing a course that has hosted numerous international tournaments, including the British Masters and the English Open. The inaugural ... Read more

Our freight market report for July includes the latest insights across road, sea and air, together with currency forecasts and an update on the automotive sector.  Metro’s freight market reports provide all the critical freight knowledge you need, in one place. With premium sea freig... Read more

Despite the UK’s recent rail strikes having little impact on container movements, the global increase in workplace militancy will inevitably start to disrupt supply chain operations, adding to port congestion. In the same week that the RMT union ran its first week of strikes, road, rail and ... Read more

With the Asia/Europe trade typically mirroring trans-pacific trends within weeks, we are watching how much US importers are pulling back on orders from Asia, and the degree to which container lines will adjust capacity, if demand suggests a slack US peak season, or alternatively a hectic and cong... Read more

Despite the capacity challenges facing air cargo, the industry will not suffer any “lasting negative impact” from the pandemic, because global economies will recover, high value goods require expedited transport and customer demand for speed continues to increase. The pandemic, Ukraine war... Read more

The re-opening of Shanghai after its extended COVID lockdown has not triggered the surge of sea freight that had been feared, but while volumes softened as a consequence, many UK and North European ports are still struggling with congestion. High yard densities at container terminals and inlan... Read more

The accurate weighing of a container is a legal requirement, that is critical for safe handling and correct vessel stowage, to avoid stability-related issues which may contribute to capsizing or sinking of the ship, with severe penalties for non-compliance. The Verified Gross Mass (VGM) declar... Read more