News & Insights

KPMG the respected business global consultancy and one of the Big Four accounting firms is expecting GDP growth to more than halve this year, with consumer slowing consumer spending and recession in 2023. In its latest UK Economic Outlook report KPMG said it expects GDP growth to more than hal... Read more

With around 80% of global trade transported by sea and three major shipping alliances controlling 95% of the critical trade lanes from Asia to North America and Europe, a handful of shipping lines have massive influence over the cost and effectiveness of international trade. The three major sh... Read more

Increasing COVID case numbers in China are cutting cross-border trucking capacity, prompting carriers to drop calls at Hong Kong, raising fears that the city is losing shipping line favour as a transhipment hub. With almost one million people in lockdown in Wuhan, where COVID was first detecte... Read more

Europe’s primary automotive ports have been investing in ‘cleaner’ operations, alternative fuels and better port operation strategies, but their main challenge for the last year has been fluctuating volumes caused by the semiconductor shortage’s impact on vehicle production. Manufactur... Read more

The vote in favour of strike action in August, in a dispute over pay, would bring Felixstowe to a standstill and cause major disruption to port operations and road haulage transport of containers to and from terminals. The Unite Union’s 1900 members at the port voted overwhelmingly in favour... Read more

With wildfires across southern Europe and the UK experiencing it’s hottest ever heatwave - with freight trains cancelled and the port of Felixstowe putting their gritters out, to overcome melting roads - we review research from the Supply Chain Management Center at the University of Maryland on... Read more

The public accounts committee said the government has failed to demonstrate the economic benefits of its post-Brexit trade deals and it was doubtful that the government would hit its target of ensuring that 80% of UK trade was covered by a free trade deal by the end of 2022. The UK has signed ... Read more

The operational efficiency of shipping lines are reaching dizzying levels, with the leading carriers generating an average operating margin of 57.4%, versus an average of just -0.2% in the decade preceding the pandemic. All carriers reported higher margins in the latest quarter, compared to 55... Read more

The state of the sea freight market has been a major contributory factor in air freight market demand, since the onset of the COVID pandemic, but that consistent demand has been a challenge too far for many air cargo handlers. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) confirms that th... Read more

With individual district lockdowns and mass testing again underway, the trade press have been reporting that Shanghai could go back into lockdown, which would be a major disruption as we enter the traditional peak season. It’s been just six weeks since Shanghai emerged from its two-month zer... Read more

Metro’s golf day planners’ unintentional clash with the Open championship at St Andrews, proved not to be a critical issue, with competitors excited to be playing a course that has hosted numerous international tournaments, including the British Masters and the English Open. The inaugural ... Read more

Our freight market report for July includes the latest insights across road, sea and air, together with currency forecasts and an update on the automotive sector.  Metro’s freight market reports provide all the critical freight knowledge you need, in one place. With premium sea freig... Read more