Headlines for Q2 2024 Improving but wary ports, more of the same in ocean freight, a potential bottom for U.S. inland freight, and geopolitics are on everyone’s mind Global Ports The Headlines: After three years of flat import growth around the world, projections are that imports will pick up through at least 2027. With congestion seemingly under control, for now, port leaders are more focused on sustainability. New initiatives, such as the world’s first transpacific green shipping corridor that connects Southern California with Shanghai, are underway. With a target launch date of ..read more

Headlines for Q1 2024 Concerns about Economic and Geopolitical Risk, Carriers Desperate to Prop Up Rates, and Untangling the Complexity of Supply Chain Sustainability Global Ports The Headlines: Ports all over the world are still seeing volume declines (yet are notably still higher than 2019). U.S. ports, for example, saw a monthly decrease of 9% in container import volume in November, with the East and Gulf Coast ports feeling the biggest declines. The largest decrease was in Chinese imports, as congestion at the Panama Canal and recent problem in the Suez Canal (see the Ocean Fre ..read more

The following is an important update for all importers and exporters operating in the EU. New carbon taxes will impact companies transporting goods anywhere within, into, or out of the European Economic Area (EEA), effective January 1, 2024. And ocean carriers have announced the implementation of the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) surcharge to cover the costs. Important to note is that carbon pricing within the EU ETS is calculated based on vessels rather than cargo. Ship operators must report emissions and allocations for the CO2 generated: 50% of emissions from voyages ..read more

Headlines for Q4 2023 Optimism for an ocean and air comeback, more commitment to sustainability, and some reversing trends signaled by logistics indices. Global Ports The Headlines: Despite predictions that the end of 2023 would see a ramp-up in global industrial production—and therefore containerized freight—global volumes are mixed. The nine largest U.S. ports are at their lowest volumes since 2017. Conversely, and primarily thanks to China, container trade through the Port of Singapore has reached record levels. What’s Important: The U.S. economy is stronger than expected in 202 ..read more

Headlines for Q3 2023 Ocean reliability holding up, labor in a better place, a continued buyer’s market, and the coming impact of new logistics technologies. Global Ports The Headlines: Ports continue to show improvements globally, and in general, concerns about labor relations have decreased. The largest such concern has been put to rest with the recent agreement on the U.S. West Coast. Backlogs are also continuing to clear, which has led to an overall improvement in schedule reliability. What’s Important: With ports on steadier ground and service performance much improved, many i ..read more

Jaguar Freight has a unique work environment, but that is not by accident. Listen to Jaguar Freight CEO Simon Kaye tell the early story of founding the company and his passion for building a strong company culture on Entrepreneur.com’s The Action and Ambition podcast. ‘Episode 1278: Simon Kaye is Pioneering Logistics and Supply Chain Innovation for Unparalleled Customer Service’. (click to listen) Listen to find out why Simon told Chase (the interviewer) his first question was terrible (jokingly) and learn about the key moments in Jaguar’s history that shape the business today – including Si ..read more

The following is an important update for all importers and exporters doing business in the UK. HR Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is changing the national customs clearance computer system, known as CHIEF + NES (Custom Handling of Import and Export Freight), to CDS (Custom Declaration Service). This is a big change for UK customs brokers as well as for all UK importers and exporters. While CHIEF was only “designed” for UK customs brokers to file and arrange import/export customs clearance, CDS is a more complex and advanced system directly accessible by their clients as well. Key Transition Dates ..read more

Just when you thought you’d heard it all about Incoterms – here’s something for true freight nerds. Incoterms are a pretty well-known (albeit sometimes misunderstood) part of global trade. For those unaware, Incoterms® are a set of 11 individual rules issued by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) which define where the risks and responsibilities transfer from the sellers to buyers of goods in international transactions. Here is a good chart explaining how they work. A lot of people assume this list is the be-all and end-all of Incoterms. But there’s more to it than that. The question ..read more

Headlines for Q3 2022 Labor at Ports, Inflation, Softening Rates, High Retail Inventory Levels Global Port Performance The Headline: Although shutdowns in Shanghai have not been as disastrous as many predicted, ports in other regions have been struggling due to labor issues, including several in Northern Europe and Korea. The situation on the US West Coast is also uncertain at present. What’s Important: The image to the right from marinetraffic.com shows a different picture of the Ports of LA/ LB than past months, which is a good thing. And, there is optimism that the current longsho ..read more

With China as the starting point of most global supply chains, its importance can’t be overstated—but we all know that already. Yet what’s been a challenging few years has been made worse by the more-frequent COVID shutdowns at Chinese manufacturing plants and shipping ports over the past few months. It’s still a crucial time for importers to be thoughtful and strategic about their supply chains and not think the worst is behind us. Many risks remain, and the issues are broad. While we learn to live with COVID, companies in the US are still dealing with the effects of the Trump-era tariffs ..read more