News & Insights

From today, England enters a new national lockdown, meaning that everyone who can work effectively from home must do so, excluding those working in essential services, including the supply chain, who may continue to go into work.  As in the earlier lockdown period, Metro will divide home ... Read more

While Boris Johnson may be feeling some justification for his recent brinkmanship, with the trade talks apparently moving forward again, he is facing Brexit bill defeat (and possibly US displeasure) at what is likely to be a very pivotal moment. The Prime Minister’s plan to flout internation... Read more

Last week the Metro training team ran in-house sessions on the threats posed by cyber-crime and business fraud….how prescient they were. The air freight sector has never faced so many challenges, with global demand rising - spiking from some origins - and likely to spike further in the comin... Read more

In a concerning parallel with post-Brexit customs systems, in 2005 the Australian government pushed through the implementation of an integrated customs system - without industry participation - crippling the country’s supply chains. In 2005, the Australian government chose to ignore industry... Read more

The large numbers of empty containers stranded in Europe, due to blanked sailings, has led to equipment shortages in Asia, which is being exacerbated by shipping lines diverting empties to more profitable trans-pacific services. On the 10th September we reported how UK port operations had been... Read more

Shippers through Sydney have faced significant disruption for several months, due to bad weather, congestion and continuing industrial action by longshore workers, which has caused extensive delays to other ports in Australia and further afield in New Zealand.  The ongoing congestion has ... Read more

Brexit trade talks restarted last week in London, after both sides promised concessions and are today moving to Brussels, with observers hoping that both sides are edging closer to a deal.  EU trade negotiators returned to London last Thursday to restart Brexit trade talks, after both sides p... Read more

After the bluffs, bravado and deadline dilution, the Brexit trade deal discussions are back on, after Michel Barnier made a statement in the European Parliament on Wednesday that both sides must be willing to compromise. Talks had stalled last week, with Downing Street insisting there was no p... Read more

Industry ‘experts’ tell us that boardroom visibility of supply chain challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic will accelerate a supply chain transformation as businesses reduce sourcing risks, in favour of closer suppliers. The expectation is a shift away from lowest-cost off-shore options,... Read more

Container shipping rates from Asia to Europe have soared to a five year high, while reliability falls to the lowest ever level recorded. The rapid recovery in post-lockdown demand has driven up volumes on the trans-Pacific and Asia-Europe trades, with global volume rising for the first time th... Read more

Further to recent reports of increased demand for air freight from Asia and generally around the Globe we have seen a continued increase this week in demand from China and the Asia Region. There have been many launches of tech products by Apple, Samsung and Sony and most are running later than... Read more

On the 8th October 2020, the UK Government released a comprehensive update to its Border Operating Model that will be effective from 22:59 GMT 31st December 2020.  On 31st December 2020 the UK will leave the EU’s Single Market and Customs Union, resulting in new customs declarations, re... Read more