The UK cross-party Business and Trade Committee has demanded the government “urgently improve” governance and transparency at freeports and investment zones.  Freeports and investment zones are a geographical area with preferential tax breaks and business rates for firms that operate inside them. The primary goal of a freeport is to encourage trade and economic growth.  August 2019 saw the announcement of the creation of several new freeports across the UK that began ... The post Demands for improvement to governance and transparency at UK freeports appeared first on The Loadstar ..read more

BLOOMBERG reports: CVC Capital Partners increased the size of its initial public offering by €500 million ($536 million), and is likely to price the share sale in Amsterdam at the middle of an initially proposed range, indicating the depth of investor demand for the long-awaited listing. Orders below €14 per share “risk missing”, banks on the deal said in terms sent out to investors. That compares to the initial price range of €13 ... The post BBG: CVC ups deal size to €2.3bn, may price IPO at mid-point appeared first on The Loadstar ..read more

Global air cargo tonnages have taken off again after three consecutive weeks of subdued volumes, but some countries in the Middle East are still experiencing a post-Ramadan downturn.   WorldACD reported today that worldwide tonnage rose 3% from 15 to 21 April.  The air cargo data company previously recorded week-on-week (WoW) volume declines of 2%, 4% and 6% over the past three weeks, which it attributed to the effects of various holidays, such ... The post Global airfreight volumes blooming as flower shipments take off appeared first on The Loadstar ..read more

Ding Ding! Back to your corners. The first quarter has been played in the 2024 Game of Logistics. Here are some key talking points which will shape how you play the rest of the match. In random order, if you don’t mind, let’s get going with… …offence or defence? OK, the first quarter’s gone and the first month of Q2 24 is ending already. For one thing, all logisticians should give themselves a small pat on ... The post Mr Joy’s round-up – make your play in the Game of Logistics appeared first on The Loadstar ..read more

While rates on the transpacific continued to soften, and Asia-Europe trades showed marginal gains, the lift in pricing on the transatlantic, where rates grew earlier in the month, has levelled this week, according to Drewry.  New York-Rotterdam remained flat in the week to 25 April, but slipped 3% to $2,214/feu on the return.   Freightos FBX also recorded broadly flat rates, with North Europe to North America east coast at $1,732/feu. Piers data ... The post Trade growth getting stronger, but ocean freight rates stay flattish appeared first on The Loadstar ..read more

Unveiling its numbers yesterday, American Airlines was the last of the Big Three US passenger airlines to report results for the first quarter and, while passenger revenues continued to climb, cargo sales were still shrinking, albeit at a slower rate. Delta was the first out of the starting gates with numbers for the period, reporting a record GAAP operating revenue of $13.7bn (adjusted: $12.6bn) and an operating income of $614m. Its cargo ... The post Big Three US airline cargo revenues continue to shrink alongside margins and rates appeared first on The Loadstar ..read more

The Loadstar has launched a series of reports on the ecommerce sector, which has been driving growth in air cargo. But are there clouds on the horizon that should worry air cargo stakeholders in particular? Ask most Europeans whether they have bought goods from Alibaba’s platforms, and the answer is ‘no’. And yet, visit Alibaba’s logistics arm Cainiao’s warehouse in Liege, and clearly someone is buying. According to Ecommerce News Europe, Alibaba is in ... The post Cainiao: ecommerce is a happy journey for some appeared first on The Loadstar ..read more

CNBC reports: Mining giant Anglo American on Friday rejected a takeover bid from rival BHP Group, saying the offer “significantly undervalues” the company and its future prospects. Australia-based BHP on Thursday said it had made an all-share takeover offer which valued the smaller company at £31.1 billion ($38.9 billion). The takeover would have created the world’s largest mining company, according to a Reuters analysis. Shares of Anglo American were trading down 0.5% at 9:00 a.m. London ... The post CNBC: Anglo American rejects BHP’s $39bn takeover bid to form mining juggernau ..read more

SUPPLY CHAIN DIVE reports: Whereas a company’s scope 1 and 2 emissions relate to its directly owned, controlled or purchased assets, the U.S. EPA describes scope 3 emissions as resulting from activities not owned or controlled by the reporting organization — those upstream or downstream in its value chain. In the U.S., the Securities and Exchange Commission notably left scope 3 reporting out of its recent climate risk disclosure rule, but regulators in other major jurisdictions ... The post SCD: Henkel to engage packaging suppliers in bid to lower scope 3 emissions appeared ..read more

This week, Qatar Airways Cargo opened its new live animal handling facility to the press. The centre is now the largest live animal air cargo facility in the world by size. Recently appointed chief officer cargo, Mark Drusch, has a particular passion for animal welfare having been a board member for two US zoos. Thus, this new facility is also leading in its animal welfare treatment. Pictured above is an on-site vet, ... The post Photo blog: Qatar Airways’ new live animal centre appeared first on The Loadstar ..read more