Metro’s new LCL guru
With over 20 years' experience in freight and logistics, the majority of which has been in the ocean freight environment and specifically the LCL product, in the UK and overseas, we are pleased to introduce our new Senior LCL Commercial Manager, Jane Kenny, who is leading this critical service ar...
Read more Sea freight shippers opt for air and sea/air alternatives
With the container shipping lines diverting around Africa until the Red Sea maritime security situation improves, the uncertainty and unpredictability that surrounds schedules could fuel demand for air cargo as shippers seek stability of services and certainty of transit times.
Air cargo deman...
Read more The real impact of diverting ships round Africa
Following the sharp escalation of attacks on container ships in the Bab-al-Mandeb strait off the coast of Yemen last week, major container shipping lines are diverting vessels around the southern tip of Africa, rendering the Suez routing unavailable for an unknown period.
With the Suez route c...
Read more Emergency Bulletin: Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait crisis update
The number of container ships diverting away from the Suez Canal and around the Cape of Good Hope had already reached 262 ships, or 12% of the global fleet by New Year’s Eve, rising a further 5% after the weekend’s Houthi attacks and will continue to grow until the Red Sea security situation ...
Read more 2nd January; Suez Crisis Update
In our 2023 supply chain review we said that we were hopeful that the formation of a coalition naval task force to patrol the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden would restore maritime security quickly, but Sunday’s two attacks on the Maersk Hangzhou suggest it could be some time before the route...
Read more Suez and Panama Canal crisis could go either way
The danger to container shipping approaching the Suez Canal comes at a time when the other key maritime gateway, the Panama Canal has been restricting transit numbers and draught limits due to drought driven low water levels.
Due to the impact of the prolonged Panama Canal drought carriers hav...
Read more Supply chain; a year in review
2023 was supposed to be the year that global supply chains bounced back from pandemic lockdowns and factory shutdowns, trade wars, tariffs and war in Europe, but now container shipping is disrupted by attacks in the Red Sea and restrictions on the Panama Canal.
The COVID pandemic and its after...
Read more Container shipping lines to avoid Suez Canal
Following further attacks on merchant shipping, entirely unconnected to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, container shipping lines have suspended sailings through the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea with immediate effect.
MSC announced on Friday, after the MSC Palatium III was attacked and suffe...
Read more Supporting sustainable fuel for air and sea freight
As we move into our second year of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) investment, with Air France, KLM, Martinair, it is great to see the successful transatlantic flight, greater SAF availability and increasing options for green sea freight transport.
The first transatlantic flight by a large pas...
Read more EU-ETS surcharge latest
From the 1st January 2024 the market-based mechanism to tackle greenhouse gas emissions within the European Union known as the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) will be extended to shipping, triggering new emission linked surcharges.
EU ETS sets an annual absolute limit on greenhouse gas (GHG)...
Read more EU road toll increases start in Germany
Increases in HGV road toll charges in Germany, which includes an additional CO2 emissions tax of €200 per tonne began on the 1st December 2023 and for vehicle combinations with a gross vehicle weight of up to 40 tons, prices will increase by almost 86% – giving 35.4 cents per kilometre.
Th...
Read more HMRC export deadline and rogue hauliers
With the deadline fast approaching for export declarations moving to the Customs Declaration Service HMRC are highlighting a worrying trend at the border, with misuse of valid documents leaving innocent exporters potentially non-compliant and exposed to penalties.
In their latest Customs...
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