Tariff hike brings Port of Shanghai to a standstill

Uncertainty caused by US President Donald Trump’s soaring tariffs on Chinese imports brought activity at the Port of Shanghai to a complete halt last week,according to Asian online publication Caixin. With our portfolio of international container shipping services for both LCL and FCL import and export cargoes, the article makes interesting reading for the U-Freight…

IATA: Air cargo demand registers slight decline in February

The latest supply and demand statistics from IATA show that air cargo demand decreased by 0.1% in cargo tonne km (CTK) terms in February,  its first year-on-year decline in February since March 2023 as a result of “extraordinary” growth a year ago. This makes interesting reading for the U-Freight Group, with our strong presence in…

Container lines improve schedule reliability

Global ocean carrier schedule reliability improved by 3.6 percentage points to 54.9 per cent in February compared to the previous month to the highest level recorded since May 2024, Sea Intelligence reported. That is interesting news for the U-Freight Group with our comprehensive portfolio of international container shipping services for both LCL and FCL import…

FMC starts enquiry about shipping choke points

In the USA, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) issued a statement outlining the launch of a “non adjudicatory investigation into transit constraints at key maritime chokepoints, focusing on the impact of foreign laws, regulations, and shipping practices”. With our comprehensive portfolio of international container shipping services for both LCL and FCL import and export cargoes,…

Heathrow airport closure: Working to mitigate impact on services

As a significant player in the UK’s air freight forwarding market through our UK subsidiary, we are closely monitoring the situation following the closure of Heathrow airport due to the recent fire in a electricity sub-station close to the airport. The impact on air cargo operations is significant, with flights disrupted, customs processes delayed, and…

China increases criticism of port sell off deal

The global media has been full of reports about the displeasure being expressed by Chinese officials over CK Hutchison’s pact to sell its controlling stake in Panama Canal ports to a group led by U.S. asset manager BlackRock. With our headquarters in Hong Kong, comprehensive network in China, and portfolio of international container shipping services…

Analyst says we are in a period of new normal for higher global container rates

The American Shipper website reports that while ocean container rates have significantly retreated from pandemic highs, they still exceed pre-pandemic levels, an industry analyst finds, indicating what is likely a “new normal” in container shipping costs that could have a cascading effect on trucking, intermodal and related logistics services throughout the global supply chain. This…