Category: Retail

Preparing for Chinese New Year: Avoiding supply chain disruption in 2025

Chinese New Year (CNY) is a time of celebration across China but presents significant challenges for shippers, and careful planning is essential to navigate the disruption effectively. In 2025, the holiday officially runs from 29th January to 4th February, with its effects on production and lo... Read more

US businesses prepare for ILA strike threat and Trump’s China tariffs

Retailers and shippers are bracing for operational disruptions and cost increases as the January 2025 deadline for the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) negotiations looms, alongside the threat of new tariffs on Chinese imports from President-elect Donald Trump. This combination... Read more

Air freight situation and outlook for 2025

Global air freight market continues to experience robust growth, driven by eCommerce and the peak season, but faces capacity constraints due to reduced belly cargo capacity and a limited supply of wide-body freighters, particularly on key trade routes. Demand rose 10% year on year in November,... Read more

Road freight market update and Metro review

The road freight market in the UK and Europe is grappling with structural cost challenges, evolving regulations, and capacity constraints, while Metro’s road freight division continues to expand, delivering innovative solutions and outperforming market trends. In the UK and Europe, road frei... Read more

Sea freight situation and outlook for 2025

With 2024 characterised by elevated freight rates and fluctuating dynamics, the container shipping lines have emerged as the primary financial beneficiaries, leveraging rate increases and stabilisation efforts to maintain profitability. The outlook for 2025 presents a mixed landscape of opport... Read more

Shipping lines blank sailings from Asia to support rates

Container carriers operating between Asia, Europe, and the United States are leaning heavily on blank sailings to manage capacity and stabilise freight rates amidst ongoing market challenges. With a significant proportion of scheduled sailings cancelled, this strategy has become a defining fea... Read more

The potential impact of the new US administration on global trade

As the United States, and the world, braces for potential shifts in trade policy, new tariff proposals and ongoing supply chain challenges are reshaping the global logistics landscape. President-Elect Trump’s threatened trade tariffs, along with geopolitical and operational pressures, are dr... Read more

Maersk leave Felixstowe as shipping Alliances prepare for launch

The container shipping industry is undergoing significant realignments, with three major alliances and MSC operating independently, restructuring their networks to enhance efficiency and reliability. These alliance changes represent a major shift in container shipping, affecting global trade r... Read more

Air freight faces prolonged capacity constraints amid rising demand

The tightening capacity situation could continue for several years, with constrained availability of freighter aircraft and high demand driving up rates across key routes. While air cargo demand has not yet surged during this year’s peak season, rates remain elevated due to the limited capac... Read more

New alliances reshape East-West trade container shipping

Container shipping faces a transformative year in 2025, as key East-West and transatlantic shipping routes are set for substantial realignment, with the dissolution of existing alliances and the formation of new ones. Carriers are optimising their networks to enhance competitiveness and meet t... Read more

Labour tensions rise on North America’s East coast

Ongoing labour disputes on the US East Coast and Canada’s Port of Montreal continue to threaten disruptions to North American supply chains. The agreement between the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) on the US East coast (USEC) brings temporary relief, securing peace for th... Read more

Air cargo rates surge as Vietnam becomes key export hub

The air cargo market is seeing a significant surge in rates, driven by strong demand and tight capacity, especially on routes from Asia to North America and Europe. In October, spot rates reached their highest point this year, with rates from Vietnam to the US increasing by 65% and to Europe b... Read more