Category: Project

Weather Disruption Intensifies Across Global Supply Chains

High-impact storms, floods and late-season tropical systems across Asia, Europe and the Americas are no longer isolated shocks: climate-linked weather volatility is increasing in frequency, severity and geographic spread, and is now considered a structural threat to logistics reliability. Stor... Read more

Sea freight heads into 2026 on a knife edge

Container spot rates are edging higher on the main deep-sea trades as carriers push through GRIs and FAK hikes into December. With blank sailings, worsening weather disruption and the risk of renewed port congestion, the run-up to Chinese New Year 2026 could be particularly challenging. On Asi... Read more

Significant increases in ocean carrier emissions surcharges for 2026

The cost of complying with Europe’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is rising sharply for container shipping lines, with ETS-linked surcharges set to rise again from 1 January 2026, when the scheme reaches full emissions coverage. The EU ETS covers CO₂ emissions from large vessels callin... Read more

US Importers Face Mounting Fines as Packaging Contamination Checks Increase

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is intensifying inspections on wood packaging materials (WPM), issuing more than 87,000 Agriculture Emergency Action Notifications (EANs) in the last fiscal year. Heightened enforcement reflects growing concern over pest-contaminated pallets, crates and d... Read more

When the Suez Canal Comes Back Online: Hidden Risks for Supply Chains

With hopes rising of stabilising conflict in the Red Sea region, analysts are increasingly considering what it would mean if shipping lines resume full use of the Suez Canal route, and it’s not all good news.  While the shorter route from Asia to Europe might seem like a logistical boon, th... Read more

One Minute Late, Thousands Lost: U.S. Customs Tightens Enforcement Across All Modes

In U.S. trade compliance, even a one-minute delay can be costly. Recent cases show importers and logistics partners facing thousands of dollars in penalties simply because mandatory filings were completed moments after official cut-off times. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has steppe... Read more

Carriers Pull Sailings and Add GRIs as US Port Fees Add New Cost Layer

Container lines are tightening capacity to defend freight rates just as new U.S. port fees on China vessels start on 14 October—costs that carriers say will be passed through to shippers. In the run-up to contracting season, the shipping alliances have stepped up blank sailings to support pr... Read more

Blank Sailings, GRIs and a Typhoon Disrupt Asia Shipping

Shippers moving goods out of Asia are bracing for the tightest space and schedule disruptions as the major container shipping lines accelerate blank sailings in the lead-up to China’s extended Golden Week holidays. Following weeks of tentative planning, lines have now confirmed broad capacit... Read more

Ex-China Airfreight: Turbulence and Transformation

For shippers moving goods by air into Europe and the US, the peak season has arrived with a complexity not seen in recent years. As flights are cancelled and rates trend sharply upward, a fundamental reshaping of the marketplace is underway. In September, a powerful typhoon swept through south... Read more

US Targets Tariff Evasion

The White House has launched a revitalised Trade Fraud Task Force to clamp down on tariff evasion and customs violations. This coordinated cross-agency initiative is set to bring sharper enforcement tools and greater scrutiny to a trading environment already complicated by regulatory uncertainty ... Read more

Growth Sustained, But Reliability and Policy Risks Loom for Air Freight

Air cargo volumes surprised on the upside again in August, rising by around 5% year on year, the second consecutive month of growth at this pace. Capacity also increased by 4%, though yields came under pressure as rates softened. Despite the stronger demand, the outlook for Asia–Europe and A... Read more

Road freight prices edge higher in August

Stronger August demand lifted UK road transport prices, with both haulage and courier markets firming despite fresh capacity entering the system. The latest TEG Price Index shows overall prices rising nearly 2% month on month and sitting 2.4% above August 2024 levels. Haulage led the gains, up... Read more