News & Insights

As the country prepares to celebrate the Queen’s record-breaking reign, with an extended bank holiday, we consider the potential penalty traps waiting to catch out the unwary shipper during the break and how you can avoid demurrage, detention and port charges. Shipping lines and po... Read more

A members survey by freight trade association, Logistics UK, found that 40% of respondents had experienced transport costs rising by 25% or more and with margins typically very low, particularly for road freight, many will not be able to absorb these increased costs. In the survey 71% rep... Read more

Strict border controls amid China’s zero-COVID policy is creating a shortage of foreign expertise, with some suggesting the development could become a permanent feature, with ramifications for supply chains and an accelerating factor for consideration of production moving to alternati... Read more

The demand for lithium-ion batteries is developing at a rapid pace, as virtually every type of Electric Vehicle (EV) overtake diesel units in the new car market, but their presence on ships and planes are a concern for insurers. While the UK new car market declined 15.... Read more

After the PM’s trip to Northern Ireland this week failed to trigger any progress in the dead-locked political situation, the government has announced plans to table legislation that will scrap parts of the Northern Ireland protocol, in spite of fears that it could initiate a trade war with the ... Read more

Shanghai is aiming to reopen the city and business operations, with normal life resuming from the 1st June, as all 16 city districts report acceptably reduced ‘zero-COVID’ cases. At a press briefing on Monday, Shanghai’s Vice Mayor announced that 15 of Shanghai’s 16... Read more

Across the major shipping trade lanes a total of 56 sailings have been blanked over the next four weeks - so far - representing an 8% cancellation rate. The halting of factory production, following the continuing lockdown in Shanghai, is resulting in a drop in export bookings from China, ... Read more

The EU introduced full import controls at the end of the Brexit transition period, while the UK government has now delayed full import control four times, with concerns rising that UK importers are not making appropriate declarations, risking fines and penalties. The UK government’s own... Read more

Despite talk of restarting manufacturing and a tiered reopening of Shanghai and the surrounding province, the situation remains challenging and delays are increasing in Ningbo as the volume of cargo diverted from Shanghai continues to grow. The Shanghai lockdown remains for a fifth week, ... Read more

The European Pallet Association (EPAL) and the European Federation of Wooden Pallet and Packaging Manufacturers (FEFPEB) have warned of a shortage of wooden pallets and packaging that is already being felt. The war in Ukraine and the shutdown of production is having serious consequences for Eu... Read more

The UK government has again delayed the introduction of further border controls on goods from the EU, due for implementation from July, pushing them back until the end of 2023, suggesting it did not want to add more costs at a time of fast-rising inflation. New import controls, including on EU... Read more

Rapidly rising inflation, the cost of living crisis, plunging consumer confidence and rapidly cooling business activity have contributed to the pound sterling’s fall to new lows, which has effectively added a further 5% inflation to the cost of imported goods. The Bank of England and US Fede... Read more