Category: Air

US importers face multiple challenges

The rapid escalation of transpacific ocean freight spot rates is reminiscent of the spike experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, while the air freight surge from Asia to the United States, that began late last year, looks likely to continue through the traditionally quiet summer months and int... Read more

India; sourcing opportunity

For years India has been looked to as the next global manufacturing powerhouse and it now appears to be finally becoming the manufacturing power and sourcing alternative to China that it has long promised to be. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi inherited an economy that was teetering on ... Read more

State of the air freight market

The effective closure of the Red Sea and the Suez Canal to container ships is adding around two weeks to supply chain transit times and creating a backlog of manufacturing components, late shipments and inventory replenishment, with critical consignments reliant on air solutions. While Iran's att... Read more

Red Sea, garments and eCommerce among factors driving up airfreight rates

Traditionally airfreight rates would soften at this time, as the start of the airline passenger summer season adds significant amounts of belly-hold airfreight capacity on long-haul routes, but pockets of high volumes are pushing rates up. Globally, the air cargo market is experiencing rising ... Read more

Strengthening global partnerships: India

Metro’s main board recently completed a multi-city tour across India, as part of a strategy to fortify existing partnerships with key suppliers and to carve out new avenues for growth, by direct engagement with prospective customers. The visit spanned several major cities including Mumbai an... Read more

Red Sea update

The last three months of 2023 were some of the worst for liner shipping’s finances in recent years, while early volume indications for this year suggest the coming months could bring stronger trading conditions for shipping lines, especially with the Red Sea diversions and capacity management t... Read more

TPM and US review

Organised by the Journal of Commerce, TPM (Transpacific Maritime Conference) is the premier global shipping and supply chain conference, attracting senior executives from all areas of the industry. Held annually in the port city of Long Beach, California, TPM brings together shippers, carriers... Read more

Air freight’s promising 2024 start continues

The global air freight market’s positive start continued last month with significant growth in demand and a corresponding rise in global spot rates, especially from the Indian Subcontinent, which is out of step with traditional market trends. Traditionally, air cargo demand and spot rates te... Read more

Sea/Air growth undiminished

The latest air cargo data is showing a clear upswing in volumes at key sea/air hubs, as shippers from Asia seek to avoid the extended ocean freight transit that has resulted from the Red Sea shipping crisis. Over the first two months of the year, volumes to Europe from Dubai, Colombo and Bangk... Read more

Red Sea impact on time-critical modes

Shippers’ concerns about Red Sea supply chain delays, plus an early Lunar New Year, pushed up air cargo volumes by 10% in January, but the availability of capacity has kept a lid on spot rates on most routes. While there has been no definitive immediate increase in air cargo demand due to th... Read more

Freight industry award finalists

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) is the trade association for the freight, logistics and supply chain management sector. Their annual Freight Service Awards are the industry’s most contested and highly sought trade awards, because peer recognition is the ultimate accolade. ... Read more

Economic impact of Suez Canal diversions

For the UK and Europe fears are growing that any prolonged denial of access to the Suez Canal could impact faltering economies and derail plans to start cutting interest rates later this year. Despite the confidence of European and UK central banks, uncertainties about the Red Sea crisis' impa... Read more