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
Brands Adapt to a New US Trade Reality
UK fashion brands and retailers have long viewed the United States as the ultimate growth market, drawn by its scale, spending power, and trendsetting influence. But new trade policies and tariff changes mean that succeeding in America now demands more resilience and strategic agility than ever b...
Read more
CSRD: Turning Mandatory Reporting into a Competitive Edge
The European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) makes sustainability disclosures mandatory for thousands of companies. Deloitte’s recent assessment of 200 early adopters reveals both compliance challenges and an emerging opportunity to use reporting as a strategic dif...
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
EU Deforestation-Free Product Law Faces Further Delays
The EU Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR), which defines compliance obligations for businesses trading with the European market, is facing further implementation delays.
Designed to prevent the sale and export of goods linked to deforestation and forest degradation, EUDR applies ...
Read more
Automotive RoRo Market Steadies as Asian Exports Surge
The global car carrier sector is showing renewed stability as strong vehicle exports from Asia offset earlier trade uncertainty.
Recent tariff adjustments in the US and falling charter rates have created favourable conditions for major roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) operators, sustaining volumes an...
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
UK Economic Pulse: Stagnation in July Signals a Fragile Balance for Trade
The UK economy stalled in July 2025, with GDP flatlining after June’s 0.4% rise. While this performance matched market expectations, the detail matters: services and construction posted marginal gains, but a 0.9% drop in industrial output dragged the total to zero.
For manufacturers, the 1.3...
Read more
Resetting UK–EU trade
Five years on from the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) and with the 2026 review fast approaching, the UK and EU have a chance to move beyond firefighting and design a trading relationship that works in today’s economy.
A new Parliamentary report from the Chartered Institute of Export &...
Read more
Carriers Sustain Transpacific Rate Momentum with Strategic Blanking
Transpacific carriers have achieved notable success this September in upholding spot freight rates despite softer volumes and ongoing market pressures. Through a mix of strategic blank sailings and well-timed general rate increases (GRIs), the main carriers have sustained a robust rate environmen...
Read more