Category: Automotive

Balance tilting towards UK hauliers

After years of competing on an uneven post-Brexit playing field, UK international hauliers are entering 2026 with structural advantages finally moving in their favour. Regulatory change, rising cost pressures across the EU and tighter controls on cross-border movement are beginning to reshape ... Read more

Capacity challenges continue for RoRo and project shipper

Roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) and project cargo shippers are entering a decisive phase, as fleet expansion, industrial investment and energy-driven demand are converging, creating both opportunity and pressure for shippers moving vehicles, machinery and oversized cargo. The global Pure Car Carrier (... Read more

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

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

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 Tightens Airfreight Security Rules for 2026

The United States is tightening air cargo security requirements, introducing enhanced data, screening and compliance measures that are expected to add more than $110m in annual costs. The changes, effective from November, build on the Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) programme, which require... Read more

Ex-Asia Ocean Spot Rates Surge as Carriers Withdraw Capacity

Asia–Europe ocean freight markets have tightened significantly through Q4, with carriers implementing repeated rate increases and withdrawing substantial capacity from key services. Since early October, freight-all-kinds (FAK) levels have been raised at roughly fortnightly intervals, pushing... 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

Rising Freight Crime Sparks Industry, Government and Police Action

Road haulage operators are on high alert as criminal activity peaks during the dark winter months, with investigations revealing how organised gangs are posing as legitimate operators, buying haulage companies, and infiltrating supply chains to steal trailer loads. The scale of the threat is e... Read more