Supply chains brace for more disruption as storm season intensifies
From wildfires and floods to scorching heatwaves, the consequences of climate change are becoming more pronounced, and as we enter the peak shipping season, businesses are scrambling to prepare for what is predicted to be one of the most disruptive storm seasons in recent memory.
So far in 202...
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Air freight peak season surge amid tightening capacity
As the air cargo market enters the final quarter of 2024, capacity is already under pressure, with spot rates from Asia climbing and setting the stage for a challenging few months.
In early September, global spot rates saw a significant rise, driven primarily by tightening capacity from key re...
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Air cargo under pressure as peak season looms
With capacity already strained and further challenges expected from potential labour strikes and reduced belly capacity in the final quarter, shippers are under increasing pressure to secure cargo space ahead of the peak season.
Strong demand
According to IATA’s latest figures global air ca...
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Record volumes raise concerns for peak season
Global demand for ocean freight container shipping has surged to unprecedented levels, surpassing even the peak during the Covid pandemic and comes when available capacity is already strained due to diversions around Africa, leading to concerns that any peak season demand could be calamitous.
...
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Global IT outage disrupts supply chains
On Friday, a faulty update to Microsoft software by cyber-security firm Crowdstrike, saw global supply chain operations significantly disrupted, with the fallout expected to take weeks to fully resolve.
Thousands of flights were grounded or delayed at major air freight hubs in Europe, Asia, an...
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SECURITY UPDATE: Red Sea
The recent sinking of the Prestige Falcon oil tanker, following a Houthi attack, marks the deadliest incident involving these strikes to date.
The vessel capsized near the Omani coastal city of Duqm, and while the Indian Navy rescued nine of the 16 crew members, one was found deceased, and six...
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A New Government – a New Britain; Strengthening UK Supply Chains for Economic Resilience
The Labour party’s manifesto outlines a commitment to bolster the resilience of supply chains in key sectors, a task that Transport Secretary Louise Haigh will spearhead.
Recent global events, such as the war in Ukraine and pandemic-induced disruptions, have underscored the necessity of this...
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Air Cargo Demand Grows Strongly in Q2 2024 – and will continue for the rest of the year
Robust growth in global air cargo markets for April 2024 marks a strong start to the second quarter, with airfreight rates on key trades out of Asia remaining “firm” in June, despite the market entering the traditional quieter summer period or ‘slack season’. Quite simply there isn’t on...
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Felixstowe train derailment
At 22:09 on Wednesday 19th June a GB railway locomotive and loaded wagons en-route to the Port of Felixstowe derailed on the branch line approaching the main Central and Northern railheads, causing significant damage to the track and closing both terminals to train movements.
The Central and N...
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Sea freight rates from Asia continue to spike and remain on an upward trajectory
Between the start of April and last week, average spot rates from the Far East into North Europe increased by 31%, the US West Coast 30%, Mediterranean 25% and US East Coast 22%, with spot rates to Europe currently $6,000-$7,500 and analysts suggesting they may hit $10,000.
Market demand reach...
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Global port congestion threat to capacity
The Red Sea crisis and the much longer sailing distances triggered by the diversion around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope (COGH) soaked up existing market overcapacity, which was just enough to cope with the extended COGH transit times, provided there were no additional disruptions to maritime supp...
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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...
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