The new logistics normal in 2023; Part 1
For almost three years shippers, forwarders and carriers, across all modes, have battled unparalleled global supply chain disruptions and, as the massive consumer driven volumes finally subsides, some suggest that the “new normal” is manifesting on a global scale.
The desire for norma...
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Labour disputes in the global supply chain (a winter of discontent)
Strikes and industrial action continues to plague ports, airports, transport infrastructure and international and domestic supply chains and while much attention has been focused on UK, European and North American situations, the wave of disputes have been spreading to Asia, South Afric...
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Metro lead the way with ocean freight electronic bill of lading
Just weeks after the Electronic Trade Documents Bill was presented before Parliament, Metro has commenced its first trial shipment with an electronic bill of lading (eBL), on Hapag Lloyd, which was a first for the German carrier too.
Following large-scale frauds and disruption to global trade ...
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Metro witness the launch of environmental first – reducing vehicle carbon emissions before they have ever been driven
Operating a fleet of 17 pure car and truck carriers, United European Car Carriers (UECC) is the leading RoRo provider of short sea services for cars and other rolling cargo. Leading customer, Metro, was invited to Zeeburgge, to witness the naming of the world’s 1st hybrid pure car and truck car...
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Schedule reliability and port congestion in decline
The latest, market leading source, Sea-Intelligence schedule reliability figures show a slight decline of 0.7% in September to 45.5%, which is the first fall since reliability began to trend upwards in April and follows the year’s largest reliability increase of 5.8% in August.
The average d...
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Delivering total supply chain control with 4PL transparency…. and much more
The COVID-19 pandemic raised public awareness of the critical importance of supply chains, with the industry being recognised as ‘key workers’ throughout the crisis. And the need for efficient logistics has increased reliance on fourth-party logistics (4PL) providers to manage complex global ...
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Sourcing insight; Buyers strategically moving production from China to India
Post-pandemic globalisation is not dead, but as China’s zero-COVID strategy continues it is evolving, as buyers reassess China sourcing risks and diversification and the alternative production capacity that India offers is badly needed, particularly given that Vietnam and much of Southeast Asia...
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Carriers stepping up Golden Week capacity cuts
For much of the last two years, container shipping lines have struggled to maintain sufficient capacity to meet demand, but in recent months demand has fallen away, which means that some vessels are not fully utilised, with carriers blanking more sailings and reducing supply u...
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Shippers brace for Felixstowe and Liverpool walkouts – a double whammy
Strikes at the key container ports of Felixstowe and Liverpool commenced at the latter on the 19th September and will continue to the beginning of October, with dates overlapping for maximum disruption.
Dock workers began their planned two-week strike at Liverpool port on Monday, 19th Septembe...
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Potentially disruptive rail strike averted in US, while, unfortunately, UK braces for more
President Biden’s administration has averted a rail strike that would have caused further issues within the country’s fragile supply chain infrastructure, while rail strikes will recommence in the UK from October, following the recent deferment of the original a...
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US inland port will reduce pressure on Los Angeles and Long Beach
The Mojave Inland Port site is adjacent to the Mojave Air and Space Port, a fully operational airport capable of accommodating large cargo aircraft, with a Union Pacific rail line running through the site and the capacity to handle up to 3,600 trucks a day and three million containers per ye...
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Climate change forcing new unexpected factory closures in China
Just a few months after Shanghai emerged from the city-wide COVID lockdowns, which disrupted supply chains and forced factories to halt operations, manufacturers have been closed again, this time by the impact of climate change. A new challenge to Chinese production and sourcing.
An inten...
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