News & Insights

Boris Johnson has set the country on a “cautious” road-map for restoring normal life and economic activity by June 21st, with government support for the economy for months to come. There are four main stages (see below) in the road-map for the lifting of coronavirus restrictions, run... Read more

Technology is the solution to the efficient movement of goods between Great Britain and the EU, and the mainland with Northern Ireland in the post-Brexit transition world. Live for GB/NI trade since the 1st January 2021, the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) is a critical border tool parti... Read more

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

Importers and exporters are gradually adapting to the new processes triggered by the move to a 3rd country trading regime with the EU and the paperwork that has ensued. But a serious lack of customs clearance capacity in the UK will continue to impede cross-Channel trade for the unprepared. In... Read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

The government has received around 40 bids for freeport status ahead of this month’s deadline, from port groups, airports and the Ford motor company. While there is some doubt that freeports will create “national hubs for trade” or “turbo-charge” the UK’s economic recovery in the s... Read more

While the world’s biggest shipping lines grow weary of Felixstowe and the UK’s primary ports, due to continuing congestion wrecking their vessel schedules, Europe’s hub ports are strengthening their market positions through giant mergers, in moves that may actually benefit UK shippers. O... Read more