Category: Retail

With 2024 characterised by elevated freight rates and fluctuating dynamics, the container shipping lines have emerged as the primary financial beneficiaries, leveraging rate increases and stabilisation efforts to maintain profitability. The outlook for 2025 presents a mixed landscape of opport... Read more

Container carriers operating between Asia, Europe, and the United States are leaning heavily on blank sailings to manage capacity and stabilise freight rates amidst ongoing market challenges. With a significant proportion of scheduled sailings cancelled, this strategy has become a defining fea... Read more

As the United States, and the world, braces for potential shifts in trade policy, new tariff proposals and ongoing supply chain challenges are reshaping the global logistics landscape. President-Elect Trump’s threatened trade tariffs, along with geopolitical and operational pressures, are dr... Read more

The container shipping industry is undergoing significant realignments, with three major alliances and MSC operating independently, restructuring their networks to enhance efficiency and reliability. These alliance changes represent a major shift in container shipping, affecting global trade r... Read more

The tightening capacity situation could continue for several years, with constrained availability of freighter aircraft and high demand driving up rates across key routes. While air cargo demand has not yet surged during this year’s peak season, rates remain elevated due to the limited capac... Read more

Container shipping faces a transformative year in 2025, as key East-West and transatlantic shipping routes are set for substantial realignment, with the dissolution of existing alliances and the formation of new ones. Carriers are optimising their networks to enhance competitiveness and meet t... Read more

Ongoing labour disputes on the US East Coast and Canada’s Port of Montreal continue to threaten disruptions to North American supply chains. The agreement between the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) on the US East coast (USEC) brings temporary relief, securing peace for th... Read more

The air cargo market is seeing a significant surge in rates, driven by strong demand and tight capacity, especially on routes from Asia to North America and Europe. In October, spot rates reached their highest point this year, with rates from Vietnam to the US increasing by 65% and to Europe b... Read more

As Bangladesh’s apparel sector ramps up production following months of disruption, exporters are benefiting from creative logistics solutions to overcome rising freight rates and capacity shortages.  Metro shipments from Bangladesh have been utilising an innovative mix of air freight, sea/a... Read more

The UK road freight market is facing severe pressures from rising operational expenses and ongoing labour shortages, with Q3 rates surging 10% year-on-year, reflecting widespread cost increases. This tough economic climate has led to the failure of nearly half of all haulage companies launched... Read more

While a tentative agreement between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) has paused the strike, a final resolution must be reached in January 2025, or further disruption could occur. The recent US East and Gulf Coast dockworker str... Read more

The 2024/25 Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) season is now underway, which means strict import regulations are implemented by Australia and New Zealand, with the United Kingdom a target risk country. The BMSB is an agricultural pest native to China, Japan, the Korean peninsula, and Taiwan, an... Read more