Category: Retail

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

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 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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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