In this episode, host Mike King and guests examine what the latest escalation of conflict in the Middle East means for freight markets, who might be paying for the Dali tragedy at the port of Baltimore, and why e-commerce is driving air cargo demand. Drewry’s Eirik Hooper explains how the de facto closure of the Suez Canal is impacting Mediterranean ports and shipping services. And Flexport’s Neel Jones Shah explains what’s next for him and his company. And reporting ‘live’ from IATA’s CNS Partnership conference in Dallas Fort Worth, the Loadstar’s Alex Lennane asks the Airforwarders Associati ..read more

This episode looks at the supply chain and insurance fallout following the tragic Dali incident in Baltimore in March. Host Mike King and guests also examine the decline of the port of Hong Kong, why air cargo demand is surprising analysts, and the latest detention and demurrage cases being filed with the US Federal Maritime Commission. How the Red Sea crisis is currently impacting air and ocean networks, why trans-Pacific contract negotiations have stalled, and whether rejigs of the container alliance system will be beneficial for customers are also on the agenda. Guests Stephanie Loomis, Hea ..read more

In this episode, The Loadstar Podcast has recaps from the biggest trade shows of 2024 and all the latest breaking news, not least recent lurches in container shipping rates and surges in air cargo volumes. DP World’s ambitious plans to expand its forwarding operations are the subject of a major exclusive interview.Host Mike King and guests also unpack what a China/Russia deal with Houthi militias means for container markets, whether IATA is serious about air cargo, why sea-air and e-commerce volumes are surprisingly strong, and how US legislators are targeting the Shanghai Shipping Exchange. G ..read more

The Loadstar Podcast is live from TPM24 in Long Beach, California. In this episode host Mike King hears what the mood is like at the logistics and shipping event of the year, which speakers have really delivered insight, and what negotiating stances BCOs, forwarders and carriers are taking in ongoing trans-Pacific contract negotiations. Mike and guests also discuss the latest on the realignment of container shipping alliances, including what two leading carrier CEOs divulged at TPM24. They also examine why cargo is being funnelled towards US West Coast gateways and how US shippers and forwarde ..read more

This episode examines why turning the temperature dial up on the cold chain makes a lot of sense, not least from an energy and emissions saving perspective. Host Mike King and guests also explore why collaboration in the supply chain is the best route to sustainability and look forward to TPM24 in Long Beach when the logistics world converges on California to discuss the latest supply chain challenges and negotiate those critical long-term trans-Pacific ocean freight contracts. The Red Sea crisis, Panama Canal water levels and the threat of union action at US East Coast ports will all be facto ..read more

Host Mike King hears that freight rates are soaring, the Dutch air cargo community is in uproar, and shippers really are not happy with the transparency of liner surcharges, and not just those relating to the de facto closure of the Suez Canal to container shipping. This episode also unpacks the details and implications of the new Maersk/Hapag Lloyd ‘Gemini Cooperation’. One guest believes the partnership’s promise to offer world-class service reliability is a ‘game-changer’ and will force the hands of rivals. Meanwhile, one of those rivals, CMA CGM, is close to getting yet another major logis ..read more

Host Mike King hears that the de facto closure of the Suez Canal to almost all container shipping traffic is creating mounting supply chain bottlenecks for global trade. Cape of Good Hope diversions are throwing the supply-demand balance of the global container shipping fleet out of kilter, driving up freight rates and charter rates. Added transit times are already leading to equipment and slot shortages in Asia as the market heads towards Chinese New Year factory closures in February. One guest predicts that disruption will last into the second of 2024. The Loadstar expects air cargo demand t ..read more

The Suez Canal crisis is sending shock waves up and down global supply chains as container ships are forced to re-route vessels around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid Houthi terrorist attacks near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. In this episode, host and producer Mike King finds out how much of the global container fleet has been effectively taken off the table due to diversions, and discovers what this is doing to freight rates, contract negotiations and transit times. Mike and guests also look at how all this plays out in the lead-in to Chinese New Year factory closures during February and take a l ..read more

In this episode of The Loadstar Podcast, host and editor Mike King is joined by three of The Loadstar’s finest journalists to analyse how global trade and shipping are being affected by the Suez crisis. In this final episode of the year, Mike and guests also look at the winners and losers of logistics, air freight and shipping in 2023, and predict what the biggest trends and stories will be in 2024. Guests Alex Lennane, Publisher, The Loadstar Gavin Van Marle, Managing Editor, The Loadstar Mike Wackett, Sea Freight Correspondent, The Loadstar Episode in more detail:   Credits: Created, ed ..read more

In this sponsored podcast, Mike King, host and producer of The Loadstar Podcast, finds out that one of the world’s largest and most renowned shipping companies is taking its transformation into a fully fledged logistics integrator very seriously, not least via its substantial investment in air cargo. Annette Kreuziger, the recently-appointed regional head of airfreight for Europe at AP Moller-Maersk, tells Mike the company has big plans for air cargo. She also explains how its expanding operations will help it best meet the varied needs of its shipper customer base.   Episode in more ..read more