Global Trade

PwC released its annual Business Attractiveness Index for EMEA with Switzerland taking first place and the UK slipping to sixth.

The stability of the supply chain has improved greatly in the past year, despite ongoing challenges and geopolitical tensions.

The acquisition train keeps rolling on for Waterloo, Ontario-based Descartes, a provider of logistics based on-demand, software-as-a-service offerings. The company recently announced it has acquired Rockville, Md.-based OCR Services Inc, a provider of global trade compliance solutions and content, for roughly $90 million. This represents the 30th acquisition Descartes has made going back to 2015.

February imports, at 2.44 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) increased 21% compared to February 2023. And when taking into account the timing of the Lunar New Year, coupled with the impact of ongoing Red Sea and Panama Canal disruptions, the firm explained that U.S.-bound imports over the first two months of 2024, at 5.04 million TEU, posted a 14% annual increase over 2023’s 4.40 million TEU, with 2022 and 2021, at 5.21 million TEU and 5.09 million TEU, respectively.

Global container shipping faces overcapacity, driving rates to unsustainable lows and prompting cost-cutting measures.

January imports, at 2.59 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) rose 9% annually, representing the third consecutive month of annual growth coming in at 9%.

A new survey found U.S. C-Suite executives are over three times more likely to choose India over China for their future supply chain needs.

Our foreign trade specialist shares ways in which U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones serve as economic development tools and often mitigate changes in Customs and trade regulations—critical insight that every shipper should understand to remain globally competitive in 2024.

The motion-blurred image of a carousel that graced the cover of the January Freight Rate Outlook issue of Logistics Management (LM) could easily be reprised for our Global Issue this month. The idea of static elements going round and round in what feels like an endless cycle could be the illustration that best summarizes our current global environment as well.

In this episode, Kerim Kfuri, the founder and president of The Atlas Network, joined In Transit host Vishnu Rajamanickam to discuss the complexities and emerging trends in nearshoring amidst geopolitical shifts and scenario changes.

As Houthi attacks continue in the Red Sea, retailers are scrambling to find alternative methods for moving their inventory, including exploring more air freight options and boosting inventory.

December imports, at 2.2 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), increased 9% in December, matching November’s annual percentage gain. For all of calendar year 2023, S&P reported that imports fell 8.5%, to 28.9 million TEU, while the fourth quarter posted an 8% annual improvement.

While shifting Asian cargo from East Coast to West Coast U.S. ports adds time and cost, it is one option shippers have to counter continued risk in the Red Sea.

Earlier today, various media reports indicated that the United States and England have taken retaliatory measures against the Yemeni Houthi pirates for their ongoing series of attacks on the Red Sea shipping lane, in response to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

As shippers navigate goods around low water levels in the Panama Canal and risks in the Red Sea, rates are rising and the risk of downstream disruptions is growing.