Category: Automotive

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

USTR Port Fee Shockwave Hits Chinese Shipping and Vehicle Carrier Sectors

The U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) newly imposed port fee regime is massively impacting container and roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) operators, inflating operating costs, tightening vessel capacity, and prompting warnings of severe disruption to U.S. logistics. UPDATE 30 OCTOBER - Donald Trump an... 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

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

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