New Port Fees Disrupt Transpacific Container Market
New US and China port fees are impacting every shipper moving goods between Asia and North America, with far-reaching regulations and escalating cost pressures. UPDATE 30 OCTOBER - Donald Trump…
Archive: News
Port Strikes Underline Supply Chain Fragility
Labour disputes at two of Northern Europe’s busiest container gateways - Rotterdam and Antwerp - severely disrupted cargo flows earlier this month, with ripple effects reaching transatlantic supply chains. Although…
U.S. Government Shutdown: Potential Supply Chain Impact
While the current U.S. government shutdown has not yet caused major disruption to trade, importers and exporters are monitoring developments closely. Experience from past shutdowns suggests that, if it continues,…
China’s Global Trade Shift Brings New Opportunities
China’s exporters are proving remarkably adaptable, reshaping global trade flows in response to U.S. tariffs and shifting trade policy. While direct shipments to the United States have slowed, China has…
China Airfreight Market Squeezed
Airfreight pricing out of China has climbed steeply in recent weeks as a perfect storm of seasonal demand, severe weather and rail disruption has tightened available capacity. Rates on key…
Carriers Step Up Golden Week Blank Sailings
Container shipping lines are accelerating capacity cuts in a bid to stabilise freight markets, as Golden Week factory closures in China approach and spot rates continue to slide across major…
Asia and Freight Market Update – August 2025
Global trade conditions remained subdued in August 2025, with export orders contracting for a fifth consecutive month. However the pace of decline slowed, and manufacturing output returned to growth, supported…
Transpacific rates slip as GRIs fizzle
Sea freight spot rates on the transpacific trade remain under pressure, as carriers attempt to arrest steep falls by combining general rate increases (GRIs) and blank sailings appears to be…
Reefer Equipment Shortages Persist Despite Record Production
Refrigerated container availability remains under pressure, even as new-build production surges to the highest levels in more than a decade. Shippers relying on temperature-controlled supply chains face continued challenges from…
Golden Week Brings Carrier Capacity Strategy into Focus
Each October, China’s export volumes traditionally dip sharply around the Golden Week holiday, with container shipping lines typically blanking sailings to align supply with the reduced demand. And while this…
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