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MSC is vigorously moving towards becoming the largest carrier. What does it mean for Maersk? 

A monumental milestone is approaching for MSC in its buying spree as its fleet capacity edges above 4m TEU. It is on the cusp of overtaking 2M partner Maersk and becoming the largest carrier. The gap between the two industry giants is just 106,000 TEU. In contrast, with 40 vessels, representing 724,000 TEU, under construction, MSC has the largest orderbook of all the container lines. The company has demonstrated a significant expansion that accounts for 4% this year.  

With consumers reverting to spending their money on services in post-pandemic world and the frontloading of goods, importers are facing a looming threat to demand. The biggest challenge will be for carriers locked into long-term expensive charters because the soaring freight rates have forced them to charter extra tonnage, driving daily rates to high levels. However, according to the recent update, the freight rates carriers are currently able to charge, both on the spot and long-term contracts, are more than enough to cover the higher charter rates. When the average shipping cost per TEU was around $1,000, many lines reported achieving an average rate per TEU of $1,500, with more increases set to work through – it illustrated just how profitable today’s market conditions are. However, carriers need the high freight rates to continue for some time to insulate them from the cost of their long-term charters.

Long-suffering cargo owners have to brace against further contagion of the Port Yantian. The analysts warn that the disruption would eventually spill over and disrupt European and North American markets. Since the end of May, the Alliance has canceled or transferred 29 calls and confirmed omissions running up to June 25. Operations in YICT’s eastern area of the terminal – where mother vessels mainly berth – continue to experience low productivity, which is about 30% of its normal level, while all operations in the western area of YICT have been suspended until further notice.

In Italy, the tax police have seized assets worth more than $24 mil. from the local unit Deutsche Post DHL as part of a fraud investigation. The company has already stated that it has always complied with the law and will provide to the investigators all the needed cooperation. Milan prosecutors allege that an unnamed company that identifies itself as a Deutsche Post DHL’s unit failed to pay value-added taxes and pension contributions due for staff by relying on contractors instead of hired workers.

The road transport market demonstrates a more positive forecast regarding a post-pandemic recovery. European road freight spot prices jumped by more than 8% in May to a three-year high as available capacity plummeted to a three-year low – experts attribute it as a positive sign. Transport capacity and prices on the route between France and Great Britain are developing in line with the trends observed in the overall market. Compared to the previous month, transport capacities on the corridor fell significantly – by 25.4%. They now stand at 88.1 index points. 

ArcelorMittal plans to add 1,200 new wagons to its Ukrainian fleet during 2021-2022, which will increase its owned fleet by 1.5 times, to make its supply chain between the two sites and customer run smoother. The new Theemsweg route in the port of Rotterdam is about to be connected to the Harbour Line. Although it is good news, it also means that the crucial rail freight corridor will be unavailable for six days in the first week of November. However, the initiative is excepted to pay off – it is an important strategic step forward because there will be more rail capacity and the perpetually disruptive Calandbrug will finally be replaced by a piece of new railway line in the largest port of Europe. The New Silk Road acquires a direct connection between Shanxi and Paris.

In Austria, a legal amendment has been proposed to increase the transport of waste by rail in alignment with the EU green strategy. Currently, 80% of this waste is still transported by road, although the cargo type is very suitable for rail transport.” To ensure the CO2-neutral supply and disposal chain for commercial and industrial parks, the ÖBB suggests making a rail connection a prerequisite for the approval of commercial and industrial parks in the future.

Britain’s changing economic profile has highlighted the need for more rail-served warehousing because the model of a trading economy is now far more dependent on distribution than manufacturing. That new pattern of demand is driving the development of a network of designated Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges (SRFIs) – purpose-built to handle distributed goods, primarily in intermodal containers, but also serving growing markets in express freight and high-speed parcels.

Lufthansa and United have demonstrated a relatively good resilience to the crisis thanks to their transatlantic cargo joint venture. The two companies are no focusing on deepening the partnership by accelerating connection and data exchange to provide joint solutions to customers.

Reshoring of the U.S. supply chain is back in the talks in the White House. Yantian’s ripple effect surpasses the effect of the Suez incident

The U.S. brings back the discussion of reshoring American supply chain outlined in the recent Supply Chain Report. The question have been in the talks for months, and now Biden’s administration aims to develop initiatives that will enhance and expand the U.S. domestic capacity since multiple industries are facing shortages due to supply chain issues caused by a combination of high demand and pandemic-related disruptions. 

The unstable situation in Myanmar calls many garment manufacturers to consider leaving the country, which creates uncertainty for domestic freight forwarders. The protests, the possibility of the lockdown, and implemented curfew alongside army checkpoints have made transportation inefficient and costly (also partly due to a doubling of fuel prices). Almost 75% of the feeder services connecting Myanmar to mother-vessels have been canceled, and most of the carriers are not accepting bookings to the US and Canada. 

The contagion of the Port of Yantian imposes the threat of spreading around the world, according to the experts. Since the coronavirus outbreak in southern China, carriers have already announced significant disruptions of sailings and schedules canceling or transferring 29 calls since the end of May and confirming omissions running up to June 25. Container dwell times at Yantian rose to eight days the week of May 30. So far, the congestion has blocked more boxes and done more damage than the Suez Canal incident since its spreading further. During the 14 days of Yantian port congestion, the port has been unable to handle approximately 357,000 TEU, while Suez Canal blockage was impacting a daily flow of 55,000 TEU for six days, which translates to a total of 330,000 TEU. Other alternative ports of China such as Nansha, Shekou, and Hong Kong do not have the facilities to handle all the extra box flow. Each of the ports also saw major week-on-week drops in incoming boxes with an average change between Week 21 and Week 22 of -4.1% at Yantian, -16.7% at Shekou, and -10% at Nansha. However, the Guangzhou Port Company confirmed on 7 June that Nansha Port Area is operating normally without Covid-19 cases. It can be a future substitute for Yantian – when phase 4 of the Nansha port development is completed this year, the port's annual throughput could exceed 18 million TEU.

Meanwhile, the U.S. container import volumes continue to set records and add to pressures on ports and other logistics infrastructure to meet the boom in demand, with supply chain disruptions, port congestion, and rising shipping costs set to continue throughout 2021. The first half of 2021 is forecast at 12.8 million TEU, up 35.3% over the same period in 2020. However, the pressure on the supply chains and the necessity to adjust quickly do not divert the industry’s focus from the green initiatives. They are gradually becoming a part of nowadays agenda. The Port of Long Beach and the Utah Inland Port Authority have signed a deal to develop cleaner, more cost-effective, and innovative strategies aimed at moving goods quickly, safely, and efficiently across the US. The ports of Seattle and Tacoma and the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) urgently call for active government support. They believe that a sustainable future is in the hands of both – the State and the industry. They expect the government to cut emissions and noise pollution from container vessels. The Port of Los Angeles has teamed up with partners to launch five new hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and the opening of two hydrogen fuelling stations.

MSC is on its way to become the largest carrier as its fleet capacity edges above 4m TEU, overtaking 2M partner Maersk. It has expanded by 4% so far this year. Moreover, the current market leader has a virtually empty orderbook as it commits its efforts to research and development into alternative fuels. 

HMM will take measures to address a soaring demand in the upcoming peak season. It will double its extra loader transpacific services from next month. Taiwan-based Wan Hai Lines is expanding its network by launching a new weekly service between Asia and the east coast of the US. 

As for X-Pearl, its owner believes that further oil pollution is not expected. State prosecutors in Sri Lanka are accusing X-Press Feeders and its parent, Sea Consortium, of a cover-up, claiming that they deleted key emails. Industry experts have proposed their theories on how the catastrophe could have been avoided.

The New Silk Road acquired another direct connection between Shanxi in China and Paris in France. The very first train departed on 2 June, carrying 50 40-foot containers. It will travel through the Erenhot border-crossing and enter Europe after passing through Mongolia, Russia, Belarus, Poland, and Germany.

Asian ports refuse entry to Evergreen ship, hit by the COVID-19, with dead captain onboard. The ship has been diverted to call Italy first in order to repatriate the captain, but the situation is yet to be resolved. 

https://duke-active.com/ru/

China is tightening the Silk belt around Europe  

The leitmotif of this week seems to be a series of several accusations looming over the horizon that will leave a deep imprint on the industry.  COSCO Shipping Ports (CSP) has begun negotiations with Hamburger Hafen Logistik (HHLA) over a possible purchase of a minority share in HHLA Container Terminal Tollerort (CTT), which signifies a major milestone for Chinese presence in Europe. Although HHLA recorded a 7.2% volume decline in its three Hamburg terminals during the first three months of the year, and the port continues to suffer congestion issues, both companies have expressed expectations for fruitful cooperation. In turn, DP World is heading towards the west of the Indian Subcontinent by using the Unifeeder Group for the acquisition of Avana Logistek, Transworld Feeders, and its unit Transworld Feeders FZCO.

A serious threat of possible consequences of the UK’s Delayed Declarations Scheme admitted not so long ago can face British customs, according to the British International Freight Association (BIFA). Following the end of the Brexit transition, the initiative gave businesses importing into the UK up to 175 days to complete their customs declarations. However, now the country lacks sufficient resources to cover the backlog, and it is not going to be easy to find brokers who could handle it on time. The UK’s failure to prepare for Brexit properly forced it to further extend the option of delaying declarations until 1 January 2022.

Sustainable development is on the roll. Teaming up in the “Green Switch” project, LDZ Loģistika Ltd. and LDZ CARGO Ltd. aim to start regular transportation of the aforementioned trailers anytime soon. Another crucial milestone will be the conversion of the Brussels Express to LNG, with the vessel to complete its first LNG bunkering at Singapore on the next round voyage. Furthermore, Tarmac, one of the largest customers of rail freight in the UK, and their rail freight partner DB Cargo UK have announced an environmentally sustainable fuels initiative. The delivery of construction materials on a key strategic route will be powered entirely by renewable fuel. 

The new rates have been introduced by MSC from European ports from Europe to Canada and Mexico. The increase ranges $500 and $1000 for 20DV and 40DV-HC respectfully.

Following the time charter rates in the past decade, the drastic changes can be spotted for 14000 TEU, 8800 TEU, 4250 TEU, 1700 vessels. They went up to $550,000 for the 14000 TEU in 2010, but ever since (before the COVID-19), remained below $400,000. The same for 8800 TEU vessels that did not go further than $220,000 before skyrocketing to $1.1 mil. in 2021. The rates for 4250 TEU, 1700 TEU vessels used to be the lowest and did not face any significant bounces, staying in the $200,000 lane. The latter is still under this rate, however, the rates for 4250 TEU vessels are as high as $410,000 in 2021.

The railway sector is speeding up, setting up a positive trend on the way to the post-crises recovery. On Friday 4 June, the first train from Nanjing in China arrived in the Dutch hub of Tilburg commemorating the start of a new regular line between the countries. Soon (from mid-June), thanks to Nurminen Logistics, a new blocktrain will connect the Finnish capital of Helsinki and Nhava Sheva, the largest container port in India. It will run via the western wing of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which passes Iran and includes a sea leg across the Indian Ocean. Recently completed infrastructure works at Southampton have enabled Freightliner to run new, 775 meter-long intermodal trains for their client DP World. They have become the first in the country facilities capable of handling the longer trains. Terminal Container Athus (TCA) and rail operator Hupac have launched new rail services to and from the Port of Zeebrugge to strengthen intermodal trade across Europe. The terminals will initially offer one roundtrip each week with the possibility to add a second rotation if volumes are increased. Moreover, since September, the rail operator will also offer a rail link between Zeebrugge and the Polish Warsaw/Gadki.

Haropa Port has announced a new ‘Green Dock’ facility that will link directly to the Seine for river-borne and urban distribution for the Greater Paris region. It has become of interest to such freight players as Stef, DB Schenker, and CEVA Logistics.

The XPO Logistics, a leading global provider of supply chain solutions, has renewed its multi-year contract with EIZO Limited, one of the UK’s fastest-growing monitor brands. 

After six years as the chief executive of the UK Warehousing Association (UKWA), Peter Ward has resigned. UKWA said it would name his successor shortly.

https://youtu.be/unCA64W2l0Y

A long-awaited stability is out of reach, so industry players brace against the high rates, prolonged congestions, and more pressure on the supply chain. 

It seems like the current ocean freights have truly become the embodiment of the saying “sky is the only limit”  as they have gone up by another 3% for Shanghai to Rotterdam direction (or $288 on last week to $10,462 - a rise of 518% on their level a year ago for 40ft containers and those on Shanghai-Genoa rose 2% or $238 to $9,900/FEU (+418% year over year). On the transpacific, spot rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles increased 4% or $210 to $5,952/FEU while prices from Shanghai to New York surged $412 (+6%) to come in at $7,559 for a 40ft box. As for the transatlantic trade, the westbound leg rose just 1% to an average of US$3,720/FEU on Rotterdam-New York, while prices on Rotterdam-Shanghai increased by 5% also to $1,629/FEU. The continuing blockage of the port of Yantian does not contribute to the positive changes. Although Chinese officials are stating that the situation is improving, it is on the contrary getting worse. The number of delays is growing since only the eastern portion of the terminal is operating at 30% capacity, while the western part of it is completely shut down. China has increased the dray cost and decreased the availability of truckers. This is also negatively affecting the equipment problems as inbound vessels bypass Yantian for other terminals. Importers watching the spot rates that are now astonishingly high have begun to move orders forward to allow more time to get their products to market. They now have to prioritize the products based on their profit margins. Is it even possible to determine the limit of the rate growth? According to experts, hardly. While a “new normal” is expected to be around 10-20% above the pre-COVID level, nobody knows when this awaited stability finally takes place. There are several reasons for the current circumstances. Firstly, there are not enough empty containers and slots. Secondly, the players have to mind the ratio of goods ready to ship vs placement of the new orders in order not to pay extra money for the boxes decreasing in value. Thirdly, the contagion of equipment shortages across trades: Asia-Europe is experiencing quite anemic demand growth, but rates are through the roof because there are no boxes to move the cargo. The congestion of Yantian is not the only obstacle. In turn, Hapag-Lloyd is bypassing the Port of Oakland from the westbound legs of two of its transpacific west coast services because of the delays and prolonged blockage. While the aforementioned ports are struggling, the port of Los Angeles aims to increase its infrastructure budget by 42.5% to meet growing demand. The improvements have been spotted at the Chittagong port. Despite facing weeklong disruptions in mid-May, cargo volumes continue to be positive. Faruque Hassan, the new president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said the apparel may make a full recovery by October. It is going to follow the reopening of western retailers.  

 What about manufactures and the exact aforementioned retails who depend on the logistics companies and have to manage their costs associated with inbound and outbound domestic freight that are on the rise? Dollar Tree’s freight-market conditions are deteriorating alongside the lack of truck drives that are unable to meet the elevated demand. The latter is the problem for many. The recent cyber-attack on giant meat processor JBS’s operations in North America and Australia left truckers scheduled to haul cows to JBS plants without loads, forcing them to scramble for traffic elsewhere. The ubiquitous shortages concern technology companies as well. Dell and HP expect supply constraints to continue at least through the end of 2021. Having taken the current conditions into the account, the tech giants are trying to adjust their supply chains. Dell has started prioritizing more valuable places for the components it can procure. The company is going to focus on fulfilling orders for long-term customers first. As for HP, the company noted that it is increasing inventories and preparing long-term contracts with suppliers to ensure lasting partnerships and security. Retailers all over the world are admitting that panic buying and pantry stockings have majorly disrupted the industry knocking out manufacturers and producers. To sum up, although the latest quarterly reports from retailers appear to show progress in rebuilding merchandise levels, freight is still delayed at the ports, and transportation capacity remains historically constrained. It is too early and reckless to expert the improvements any time soon in the big picture. 

Rates are growing, but the trains move on – figuratively and literally. On Friday 4 June, the first train from Nanjing in China arrived in the Dutch hub of Tilburg. The event has marked the beginning of a new regular line between these two countries. 

Asian shipping group SITC International has extended its newbuilding string to nearly 30 ships exercising options for eight more vessels at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding. The tension between Canadian Pacific (CP), Canadian National (CN), and KSC accelerates - 130 stakeholders had filed statements to the US Surface Transportation Board (STB) requesting it reject CN’s proposed voting trust. They are concerned over the likelihood of reduced service quality and infrastructure investments.

https://youtu.be/p7kWl8SQFAc

The green race: a new measure of success 

By now, it is no surprise that sustainable initiatives are on the list of major priorities for development for many logistics companies. The shift in the paradigm is coming from the customers of transport companies themselves since they are becoming more and more interested in working with the businesses standing for transparency, traceability, and a “green” mindset. It seems like environmental agenda is gradually becoming as equally important factor for customers in choosing the type of transport solutions, as price, quality and transit time. Among the key players driving the trend are Heineken, Phillips, Unilever, DSM, and FrieslandCampina. Having understood where the wind of change blows, the shipping lobby has gotten inspired by the rail sector. Gasunie and port authorities of Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Groningen, and North Sea Port have conducted a study that has shown that to set up a hydrogen exchange in HyXchange, hydrogen certification and an index for price transparency would be a necessity to trade the renewable fuel. Certification of green, low-carbon, and imported hydrogen is needed to pipe a greater volume of hydrogen from a wide range of sources. HyXchange plans to test the first trading products in pilots and simulations, which will further involve the market. Earlier this week, the CEO of AP Moller – Maersk has proposed a carbon tax on ship fuel, motivating his decision by the current necessity to create a range of alternative fuel at scale. One of the best ways is to invest in R&D fund to achieve those goals, and, ultimately, the zero-carbon future. MSC has baked this proposal and joined an industry call to action with UN IMO member states to support the proposal for an R&D that would help catalyze new technologies.

Not only sustainable objectives have been set.  This Thursday (3, June) The European Transport Ministers adopted two important setsof Council Conclusions on EU rail and the EU Strategy on Sustainable and Smart Mobility. The strategy aims to double rail freight and to triple high-speed rail passenger transport by 2050. Conclusions touch upon issues of key importance to the development of the sector: the impact of COVID on EU mobility and railways, the need for supporting rail Research & Innovation, the role of modal shift, the importance of TEN-T and rail freight corridors. This event follows the launch of the first trains between Rotterdam and Pordenone in northern Italy by Hupac. The issue between Samskip and Hector Rail has also been resolved. The first trains departed successfully with trailers via Denmark after all partners implemented the modified procedures for safe trailer transport by rail respecting the criteria from the Danish authorities in their rail supply chain. However, according to many industry players, the new measures are considered too strict since the transportation of trailers by rail is already safe, and the incidents on the Great Belt Bridge are an exception. In turn, the Russian manufacturer of freight cars, United Wagon, has obtained approval to operate two of its wagons on the European railway network. The future for The Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad train project seems less bright in the context of several main problems. The first one concerns a lack of volumes due to political issues in the regions to be crossed. Apart from the lack of transparency between the parties, the sanctions imposed by the U.S. prevent the governments from providing a letter of credit and insurance for transiting cargo through Iran. 

The railway industry is trying to indulge in optimization as much as it can. One of the primary objectives includes a further study on the possibility of using three locomotives to run a longer train. The Distributed Power System (DPS) is an initiative that can turn this plan into reality. It allows the use of three locomotives to run a single train, and in the long-term, such development could lead to the use of 1,500 meter-long trains. The first tests proved to be quite successful. The initiative can potentially revolutionize the entire industry.  

Despite being destructive on its own, the current crisis has revealed such significant problem as a shortage of skilled drivers. The situation is expected to get worse with the increase in penury by over a quarter on 2020 levels in almost all of the 23 countries included in a recent global survey of road transport firms at a higher rate - by 150% in Spain, 175% in Mexico and 192% in Turkey. For the UK, the adjustment has become more complicated due to the downturn in the trade with the EU. The companies require drivers and workers who can come up with efficient solutions to identify the problems and address them as efficiently as possible. 

Continued market uncertainties and extended public holidays have contributed to a 4% drop in global air cargo demand. On the US-Europe lane, there has been a steady decline in the weekly rate since the 2021 high of $2.13 in the week ending 23 March, with the May average down 5% on April. Shippers are also continuing to struggle with the high ocean rates. However, there is hope that, although air cargo rates remain extremely elevated, the addition of capacity in the form of China Airlines and Cathay Pacific flights returning after quarantine restrictions, may have contributed to Asia-US and Europe prices declining by 10% or more on some lanes.

The Evergreen's issue regarding its speed keeps unfolding. On Friday (June, 4) the UK P&I Club disputed claims made earlier by the Suez Canal Authority that the ship’s captain was to blame for the accident that led to the 400 m ship blocking the waterway for six days in March. However, AIS playbacks of the incident do show the ship, traveling in very blustery conditions above standard speed for transits, which is difficult to deny. 

Ship happens: misfortune never comes alone. 

The soaring rates have been like a snowball – almost elementally unfolding across the industry (Asia-US West Coast prices increased by 2% to $5,494/FEU and are 236% higher than the same time last year. Asia-US East Coast prices also climbed 2% to $7,479/FEU, and are 190% higher than rates for this week last year) and consequently dragging historically high import demands. Although this week there has been a slight glimpse that the U.S. containerized imports could pull back, at least temporarily, because the trans-Pacific shipping system has bounced against its max-capacity ceiling and can no longer bear the full load, liner giant Maersk has stated that this phenomenon should not be attributed to a softening in demand. The company has also announced that the recent challenges with their booking system were not due to cyber-attacks – it was a purely technical problem. With dozens of ships remaining at anchor along the Californian coast and the blockage of important export getaway in Yantian (productivity in the eastern area of Yantian International Container Terminal (YICT) is down to 30% of normal levels) further pressure to supply chains has been added. With the congestion torturing the port operations, YICT has taken some measures to improve the current situation: acceptance of export-laden containers has resumed from 00:00 AM on 31 May but with certain exceptions. The slots are now only available for containers within three days of a vessel’s estimated time of arrival, and only after the terminal confirms the reservation made by trucking companies for laden container gate-in. The rule imposes at least another week of delays, forcing carriers to bypass the port.  One more blockage has occurred this week. Pro-Palestinian protestors, led by the San Francisco-based Arab Resource & Organizing Center (Aroc), have claimed victory in turning a ZIM ship away from the Port of Oakland in California. The organization’s ‘Block the Boat’ campaign aims to prevent Israeli ship operator Zim Integrated Shipping Services from docking anywhere during an ‘International Week of Action’ that will end on June 9.

Life is not easy for the shippers using the North Atlantic trade lanes either as they have faced a sharp increase in Westbound prices(from Asia to US ports on the east as well as the west coast it rose by a relatively modest 2% last week) in response to a combination of robust demand and equipment shortages. The box ship charter market is continuing its bull run, with daily hire rates in some sectors now out of control, according to the experts. The current market reflects a rate of some $52,000 a day for a typical 4,000 teu panama which is 10 times higher than it was achieved by shipowners just five years ago. In a sign of just how frenzied the container market has become, a freight forwarder is reportedly paying $135,000 per day for a short-term charter of the S Santiago (a 15-year-old container ship with a capacity of 5,060 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs)). The situation makes it almost impossible for the companies to build momentum when all their assets are concentrated on staying afloat; however, one of the major players of the logistics market Mediterranean Shipping Company has procured more ultra-large containerships, as the second-largest liner operator continues its fleet expansion. 

More light has been shed on the situation with the X-Press Pearl. According to the latest information from its owner’s spokesman, the smoldering wreck of it has settled onto the ocean floor after water flooded the engine room. Even though the aft of the vessel had settled on the seabed, the forward portion of the ship was still afloat and the crew had hoped to move the ship away from the Sri Lankan coastline. They have failed the attempts. This incident has demonstrated the need for ensuring the safe transport of dangerous cargo. In particular, the TT Club has been campaigning to reduce the number of these life-threatening, cargo- and ship-damaging, environmentally impactful and highly costly events for a while now. Although the owner of the X-Press Pearl has insisted there is currently no sign of pollution as the vessel starts to sink, the local government has voiced its concerns. Misfortune never comes alone, says a famous proverb - the 8,500TEU OOCL Durban has crashed with the No. 70 Yangming Wharf bridge crane at the Port of Kaohsiung in Taiwan causing two cranes to collapse on the spot. One port worker suffered minor injuries in the accident. Several more were trapped but were later freed uninjured. As for Evergreen that is stuck in Suez Canal, the deal has not been resolved, but as one of the positive outcomes, the blockage has encouraged some of the companies to put their products on Eurasian rail tracks for the first time.

Experts are keeping an eye on the rail industry, voicing concerns about whether the problems with American railroads can be related to low staffing. These service issues, at least to some extent, have been related to workforce reductions caused by the pandemic and its repercussion. The US rail volumes have been going strong. For the week ended 29 May, the AAR reported rail carloads 27.2% higher than a year ago, forcing the SITC Container Lines to place more vessel orders. The air industry is also expecting a splurge in demand - Unique Logistics has booked dozens of Asia cargo jets for peak season.

Tough times create more room for collaborative efforts: the logistics arm of the Alibaba Group has signed a deal with the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) to serve as a third-party logistics provider for affiliated small and midsize exporters shipping to China.