Category: Supply Chain

Global sea freight latest weekly update

The leading container shipping lines believe that global port and inland infrastructure congestion could last until after the summer peak season and the blanked sailings keep on coming. The lines’ view is that supply chain disruptions are “temporary issues”, which would be resolved in th... Read more

Q1 review & Q2 sea freight market report

Time never stands still in global logistics, and as we come towards the end of the first quarter of the year (Q1) and approach the second (Q2), we take a moment to reflect on how 2021 has started, and how we see the deep sea markets further adjusting and progressing as we move into the next perio... Read more

RoRo fleet confidence returns

The backbone of global automotive transport is the RORO pure car carrier (PCC) or pure car/truck carrier (PCTC), with the largest capable of carrying over 8,000 cars. In a sign that confidence is returning to the automotive industry, the biggest carriers are investing in their fleets and bringing... Read more

US West Coast operation latest from our colleagues on the ground

Local knowledge is invaluable, which is why we are indebted to our joint venture partners at Fracht USA for providing us with their comprehensive intelligence. Specialists in complex and turnkey movements for the energy, technology and gas sectors, our joint venture partner Fracht operates out... Read more

Why the smart money’s on Metro

Relevant, reliable and credible services, that are consistent and proven to deliver. Historically the biggest volume shippers (BCOs), like supermarkets and the large manufacturers, have contracted directly with the shipping lines, to provide the lines’ base loads, leaving the remaining vesse... Read more

China overtakes US as EU’s biggest goods trading partner – but for how long ?

China is now the EU's biggest trading partner, overtaking the US, as volumes of goods grew in both directions, propelled by sustained pandemic demand. As business with Europe's major partners fell due to the COVID-19 pandemic, trade with China (import and export) was worth €586bn last year, ... Read more

TfL changes raise UK domestic road operating costs

The Direct Vision Standard (DVS) and new rules for London’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ) become enforceable by Transport for London (TfL) from the 1st March 2021. Both were set to be enforced from October 2020, but had been delayed for four months to allow the freight industry to focus on core op... Read more

US continued port congestion latest

Congestion at ports on both sides of North America remains a severe issue, though our colleagues in the US advise us that vessel queues may be easing this week in some areas. Three blanked sailings by the Ocean Alliance should relieve some pressure on US ports, but are putting upward pressure ... Read more

Pandemic impacting Asia’s growth

The sustained threat of US tariffs through 2019 meant that supply chains were diverted away from China to factories in other regional economies. As the Covid-19 pandemic took hold in January 2020, factories closed, inventories fell and supply chains around the world began to stall. With manufa... Read more

Air cargo capacity to remain constrained until 2023

In the absence of belly-hold capacity (passenger aircraft), big volume shippers are taking freighter and charter options, potentially affecting air cargo capacity available to some shippers and underlining the importance of the strength of partner carrier partnerships and of our time-sensitive se... Read more

Brexit review, optimistic freight and trumping the City

In the fourth quarter of 2020 the UK’s trade deficit widened by an astounding £10.9bn, as companies' stockpiling accelerated ahead of the end of the EU transition period, barely pausing during French border disruption, to stop the spread of the Kent coronavirus variant. No FTA review Des... Read more

Emirates launch sea-air product ahead of demand

Key Metro partner Emirates SkyCargo and DP World have launched a sea/air product, increasing the range of services we can offer, ahead of a likely post-lockdown demand surge. The Dubai-based companies are offering complementary sea/air services, which can expedite the transfer of containers fr... Read more