Category: Automotive

2023 was supposed to be the year that global supply chains bounced back from pandemic lockdowns and factory shutdowns, trade wars, tariffs and war in Europe, but now container shipping is disrupted by attacks in the Red Sea and restrictions on the Panama Canal. The COVID pandemic and its after... Read more

Following further attacks on merchant shipping, entirely unconnected to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, container shipping lines have suspended sailings through the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea with immediate effect. MSC announced on Friday, after the MSC Palatium III was attacked and suffe... Read more

With a 3-4 month delay for car and truck RoRo (PCTC/PCC) services, automotive clients have looked to container shipping to provide an effective alternative transport solution, that also turns out to be much better for the environment. As the automotive industry emerged from the Covid pandemic,... Read more

Metro has confirmed a strategic partnership with motorsport logistics specialists, Bespoke Handling, to provide UK and European racing teams with complete logistics support.  The partnership with classic, vintage and racing car specialists, Bespoke Handling, is an exciting extension to ou... Read more

According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), UK car production rose for the fourth consecutive month in May, up almost a third on 2022. Domestic production volumes increased by 45.4% and exports rose 22.9%, with exports accounting for 80% of the p... Read more

With over 70 fires on container ships blamed on hazardous cargo, chemicals and batteries in the past five years and an onboard Li-ion fire contributing to the fatal crash of a UPS Flight in 2010, insurers are calling for improved regulatory clarity and the need to address transport safety issues ... Read more

As Chinese car exports continue to rise and British car manufacturing continues its resurgence, orders for car and truck RoRo (PCTC) vessels are the highest since 2008. During the pandemic many PCTCs were scrapped and few built, as working from home depressed vehicle demand, but rising Chinese... Read more

In a sign of the growing strategic significance of supply chain management for carmakers, two major manufacturers have appointed chief supply chain officers (CSCO) this month. Their appointments come after the industry has battled disruption to production and supply chains, shortages in semicondu... Read more

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) represents more than 800 automotive companies, manufacturers and brands, and is one of the most influential trade associations in the UK, shaping policy and legislation across the UK and Europe. Metro is a member of key vertical trade assoc... Read more

The U.S. Department of Commerce has confirmed that China is the world’s largest vehicle market by annual sales and manufacturing output, with 1.07 million vehicles exported in the first quarter of 2023, and domestic production expected to reach 35 million vehicles by 2025. Demand from Russia... Read more

Specialised RoRo car and truck carriers are facing multiple challenges, which are causing congestion and delays at ports in Europe, China, South Africa, the US and Australia. Driver shortages in the UK and Europe mean that some importers struggle to collect their cargoes from ports as quickly ... Read more

Rechargeable Lithium or Li-ion batteries, the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles, generate extreme heat when they malfunction, which can quickly spread to nearby combustible materials, causing a rapid fire that's challenging to extinguish. Ther... Read more