Category: eCommerce

France Ends Regime 42: What It Means for Exporters and Why You Should Attend Metro’s December Customs Webinar

France will withdraw Regime 42 from 1 January 2026, removing the VAT simplification that currently allows goods to enter France without import VAT when they are destined for another EU member state. The ending of Regime 42 has attracted little publicity, but it will directly affect UK exporter... Read more

Continued Airfreight Growth Amid Emerging Challenges

Global air freight markets have continued to post positive year-on-year growth through September and October, reinforced by stronger than anticipated build up to peak season volumes, but recent indicators point to a moderating pace and emerging challenges that merit close attention. While rece... 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

Airfreight Cools; Growth Still Building

Even though air cargo is easing back after a brisk summer, global tonnages rose in the third quarter, with eCommerce redrawing lanes and hub dynamics, while UK airport expansions point to a more connected decade ahead. Worldwide air cargo tonnages were up 4% YoY in Q3 2025 and while average sp... 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

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

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

Asia Pacific Freight Markets Reshape as Tariffs Shift Trade Flows

Air and sea freight in the Asia Pacific region is at the centre of global freight realignments, as eCommerce and feeder shipping operations are reshaped by recent policy changes in the US.  Adjustments to tariff rules and the elimination of duty exemptions have pushed shippers to reconsider s... Read more

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Season 2025

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) is an agricultural pest native to China, Japan and the Korean peninsula. Each year, Australia and New Zealand enforce strict controls from 1 September through 30 April to prevent the introduction of this invasive pest through international trade. Accidenta... Read more