Category: United States

USTR Port Fee Shockwave Hits Chinese Shipping and Vehicle Carrier Sectors

The U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) newly imposed port fee regime is massively impacting container and roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) operators, inflating operating costs, tightening vessel capacity, and prompting warnings of severe disruption to U.S. logistics. Effective 14 October, the USTR in... Read more

When the Suez Canal Comes Back Online: Hidden Risks for Supply Chains

With hopes rising of stabilising conflict in the Red Sea region, analysts are increasingly considering what it would mean if shipping lines resume full use of the Suez Canal route, and it’s not all good news.  While the shorter route from Asia to Europe might seem like a logistical boon, th... Read more

U.S. Power Plays Shape Global Climate and Asian Trade Policy

The United States exerted its influence on two critical stages this month, by blocking consensus on global maritime climate regulation in London and sealing a series of trade pacts across Southeast Asia.  At the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, U.S. pressure proved decisiv... Read more

One Minute Late, Thousands Lost: U.S. Customs Tightens Enforcement Across All Modes

In U.S. trade compliance, even a one-minute delay can be costly. Recent cases show importers and logistics partners facing thousands of dollars in penalties simply because mandatory filings were completed moments after official cut-off times. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has steppe... Read more

U.S. Shutdown Strains Supply Chains as Key Agencies Go Offline

As it enters its 3rd week the U.S. government shutdown is squeezing every part of the country’s trade and logistics ecosystem, with air traffic control, ports and customs all under strain. While some critical functions persist, the uncertainty is already slowing imports, exports and regulatory ... Read more

Carriers Pull Sailings and Add GRIs as US Port Fees Add New Cost Layer

Container lines are tightening capacity to defend freight rates just as new U.S. port fees on China vessels start on 14 October—costs that carriers say will be passed through to shippers. In the run-up to contracting season, the shipping alliances have stepped up blank sailings to support pr... Read more

Transatlantic Sea Freight Steadies

The North Europe to US, transatlantic trade-lane, is settling into a more predictable rhythm, after a trade deal and took much of the guesswork out of export planning, while carriers have lifted reliability and held blank sailings to minimal levels.  The result is a market where prices are ea... Read more

Brands Adapt to a New US Trade Reality

UK fashion brands and retailers have long viewed the United States as the ultimate growth market, drawn by its scale, spending power, and trendsetting influence. But new trade policies and tariff changes mean that succeeding in America now demands more resilience and strategic agility than ever b... Read more

US Targets Tariff Evasion

The White House has launched a revitalised Trade Fraud Task Force to clamp down on tariff evasion and customs violations. This coordinated cross-agency initiative is set to bring sharper enforcement tools and greater scrutiny to a trading environment already complicated by regulatory uncertainty ... Read more

Carriers Sustain Transpacific Rate Momentum with Strategic Blanking

Transpacific carriers have achieved notable success this September in upholding spot freight rates despite softer volumes and ongoing market pressures. Through a mix of strategic blank sailings and well-timed general rate increases (GRIs), the main carriers have sustained a robust rate environmen... Read more

Asia Pacific Freight Markets Reshape as Tariffs Shift Trade Flows

Air and sea freight in the Asia Pacific region is at the centre of global freight realignments, as eCommerce and feeder shipping operations are reshaped by recent policy changes in the US.  Adjustments to tariff rules and the elimination of duty exemptions have pushed shippers to reconsider s... Read more

US Tariffs Reshape Global Supply Chains

The wave of new US tariffs has triggered a recalibration across global trade and supply chains. While markets initially reacted with relative calm, the cumulative impact of the Trump administration’s layered tariff regime, now reaching more than 60 countries, is beginning to reshape sourcing st... Read more