News & Insights

Our alerts, news and guides embrace all transport modes and explore global developments across all aspects of the supply chain, to keep you informed and guide decision making.

Smart 2026 supply chains are being engineered for pressure

Supply chains are no longer judged on efficiency alone, in 2026 they will be expected to anticipate disruption and adapt at speed to actively support growth. The experience of the past year confirmed that stability is no longer a realistic planning assumption, but performance under pressure is. ... Read more

Building capacity, capability and coverage: Metro’s expansion plans for 2026

Metro is entering 2026 with a clear focus: expanding regional presence, strengthening expertise and investing in people to better support customers operating increasingly complex and execution-critical supply chains. In 2026, Metro will open new offices in Belfast, Leeds and Liverpool, strengt... Read more

Asia–Europe peak season meets Chinese New Year

As the Asia–Europe trade moves deeper into peak season, Chinese New Year (CNY) is already reshaping pricing, capacity and execution risk. What was once a predictable seasonal slowdown has become a compressed, high-impact period where demand surges, capacity is tightly managed and disruption ris... Read more

Key finance factors shaping UK manufacturers and shippers in 2026

As the UK enters 2026, there are early signs that the export and domestic economic environments are turning a corner. And while UK consumer sentiment is likely to remain cautious in Q1, recent PMI data shows UK exports returning to growth after a year-long slump. However, while macroeconomic p... Read more

GB Global backs major Liverpool distribution centre

GB Global, Metro’s holding group, is supporting the development of a new 950,000 sq ft multi-user distribution centre in Speke, Liverpool, reinforcing the group’s ability to handle growing and more complex freight flows. The 50 acre site will accommodate a single cross docked facility of o... Read more

UK supply chain policy is reshaping shipper risk and resilience

Government support for supply chains is increasingly being framed as a matter of national capability rather than short-term intervention. That shift was made explicit in June 2025, when the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy earmarked £600m for logistics sites, signalling that logistics, ... Read more

A year without reset: why 2025 changed how shippers plan for 2026

If 2025 was expected to mark a return to supply-chain stability, it didn’t arrive in a neat, predictable way. But for many shippers, the year still delivered something valuable: a clearer view of what “good” looks like in modern supply chains — not perfection, but performance under pressu... Read more

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

Turkey’s Near-Shoring Advantage For Fashion Brands

Turkey’s importance as a sourcing hub is rising again as fashion brands intensify their search for speed, flexibility and resilience. With consumer demand becoming more volatile and pressure increasing to reduce lead times, improve sustainability and react faster to market shifts, Turkey’s ne... 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

Group Investments Expand Metro’s Capabilities

We are pleased to share two strategic acquisitions by our parent, GB Global, that significantly enhance the range, reach and resilience of services available to Metro customers.  These latest GB Global investments — a 50% stake in Tendron, one of France’s leading logistics operators, and ... Read more