Category: Technology

Leading by example

Effective planning for the receipt of inbound ocean cargo, requires accurate arrival dates, but with schedule reliability at all time lows, the effective management of imports has never been more challenging. Metro’s new ‘Vessel Tracking’ tool links directly with transceivers on b... Read more

Metro launch enhanced tracking tool as on-time ship arrivals hit six-year low

With global shipping schedule reliability at a six-year low and just 33% of ships arriving on time, during a chaotic year for container shipping, Metro Shipping is enhancing its MVT supply chain platform, with even greater scrutiny of real-time vessel tracking. The ability of vessels to h... Read more

Metro deliver on ECO promise

Having conceived, created and launched the MVT Eco module in 2021 - to monitor the CO2 equivalent emissions, of each consignment we move - and committed to environmental transparency, Metro has now officially offset our emissions for 2020. Companies’ response to climate change is arguably ... Read more

Foldable containers may be cure. Just not yet…

The bulk of the world’s trade is shipped in intermodal shipping containers, which have remained largely unchanged since IMO standardisation 50 years ago, but innovation may be the key to reducing supply chain congestion. Is this a new era of global container shipping? Few tools of the global... Read more

Shippers risk falling foul of post-Brexit origin rules

Many British companies trading with the EU are still failing to understand the extent of their legal obligations to comply with the origin rules of the EU-UK trade deal and could face disruptive enforcement action by customs authorities, when a ‘grace’ period for UK imports ends on the 1st Ja... Read more

Supporting environmental transparency

Environmental reporting standards for business have been high on the agenda at the UN’s Climate Change Conference – COP26 – currently underway in Glasgow and Metro support the drive for businesses to be open about their impact on the planet, as transparency is an essential precursor for rea... Read more

Why some supply chains fail in the current environment

Brexit and the COVID pandemic has put global supply chains, and the people who work in them, into the public consciousness for probably the first time. As disruptions impact supplies of consumer goods, leaving empty shelves and fears grow for Christmas stock availability, people are asking ‘wha... Read more

Supply chain weaknesses exposed by Covid

For decades, offshoring and global sourcing have offered lower labour and operating costs, wider product ranges and opportunities to reach new markets. The pandemic has exposed their supply chain vulnerabilities. Customers are expecting faster and faster deliveries, but global supply chai... Read more

Brexit delay, dithering and duties: Metro has your back

To the consternation of many shippers, the Government is changing the start dates for new border checks and processes for imports and exports with the EU. The good news is that Metro’s experts can protect your supply chain from these changes and simplify customs compliance, with our intelligent... Read more

Metro successfully test new eBL with FIATA

Metro continues to actively support the development and adoption of emerging technology, across the shipping industry, by participating in the successful testing of new e-FIATA Bill of Lading (eFBL) standard, with FIATA , the trade association for 40,000 freight forwarding and logistics firms in ... Read more

Metro ready for UK’s new single customs platform – are you?

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced last week that the Customs Declaration Service (CDS), a system integrated with our market-leading technology, will serve as the UK’s single customs platform from 31st March 2023. Operating since 1994, HMRC is finally retiring its Customs Handling of Im... Read more

The World Economic Forum’s resilient supply chain formula – how it can assist you to continue to succeed in a challenging environment

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has identified eight points of resilience to help manufacturers and trading companies prepare for supply chain disruptions. The qualities of the most resilient supply chains are based on a survey of 400 senior supply chain executives and representatives from gove... Read more