Category: International Trade

Following the sharp escalation of attacks on container ships in the Bab-al-Mandeb strait off the coast of Yemen last week, major container shipping lines are diverting vessels around the southern tip of Africa, rendering the Suez routing unavailable for an unknown period. With the Suez route c... Read more

In our 2023 supply chain review we said that we were hopeful that the formation of a coalition naval task force to patrol the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden would restore maritime security quickly, but Sunday’s two attacks on the Maersk Hangzhou suggest it could be some time before the route... Read more

The danger to container shipping approaching the Suez Canal comes at a time when the other key maritime gateway, the Panama Canal has been restricting transit numbers and draught limits due to drought driven low water levels. Due to the impact of the prolonged Panama Canal drought carriers hav... Read more

2023 was supposed to be the year that global supply chains bounced back from pandemic lockdowns and factory shutdowns, trade wars, tariffs and war in Europe, but now container shipping is disrupted by attacks in the Red Sea and restrictions on the Panama Canal. The COVID pandemic and its after... Read more

With sea freight rates so low, below cost on many important trade lanes the container shipping lines are looking to surcharges and all manner of ancillary charges to boost their cash flows. Macro-economics continue to work against the shipping lines, with global demand suppressed and costs ris... Read more

The United States of America is the UK's largest single trading partner, with the value of goods and services nearly five times the value of trade with Germany, the UK's second largest export market and hopes are growing of a breakthrough in US/UK trade negotiations. Total US goods imported to... Read more

As a UK-India Free Trade Agreement draws closer new research confirms India’s strategic importance, with 73% of UK business leaders identifying the country as a target growth market and Metro’s senior executives are preparing local infrastructure to support any acceleration in bilateral trade... Read more

While sea freight traffic is largely operating without significant issues, the conflict in Israel is impacting airfreight to the country and the surrounding region, with many carriers’ services subject to cancellation and delay. Many airlines have suspended direct flights to and from Israel,... Read more

The UK’s Electronic Trade Documents Act (ETDA) came into force on the 20th September, providing an electronic bill of lading (eBill) the same legal status as a paper bill of lading. This is a major step forward in the modernisation of international trade and is anticipated to boost the UK ec... Read more

Anti-dumping and countervailing measures on imports of Hot Rolled Flat and Coil steel will be kept until 2027, to protect the UK’s steel industry from the damage caused by low-priced steel and competitive products that have benefited from government subsidies in their country of origin. The ... Read more

The Institute of Export & International Trade has issued a report highlighting the volume of regulatory change facing UK traders over the next 18 months and called for support for businesses through this turbulent period. The report – The Border Target Operating Model and Beyond: Navigat... Read more

On the 9th August 2022, the European Commission (EC) issued a call for feedback on the Consortia Block Exemption Regulation (CBER) and on Tuesday announced that it will not renew the sector’s exemption to operating shipping alliances when current legislation expires on 25th  April. The Cons... Read more