Newsletter – April 21, 2023

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

Gold Heist: Over $20 Million Stolen At Toronto Pearson International Airport

simpleflying.com
A container carrying the gold arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport early Monday evening. According to Sky News, the container had over 1.6 tons of gold, but other reports say the police still need to unveil the actual amount. The airline and aircraft that carried the cargo are also unnamed, as the information could complicate the investigation. Read more here.

TARMAC Aerosave Will Start Using Drones To Inspect Aircraft Exteriors

simpleflying.com
Aircraft storage, maintenance, and recycling firm TARMAC Aerosave has announced a new project with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) designers Donecle to develop a drone specifically for aircraft maintenance purposes.
Announced at the MRO Americas trade fair in Atlanta earlier this week, the two French companies unveiled a new partnership to revolutionize aircraft fuselage and inspection solutions. Donecle, an industry expert in UAVs, with products utilized by various airlines, including Pan-South American carrier LATAM and Austrian Airlines, will aid TARMAC Aerosave in developing a Donecle system drone to ensure the continued airworthiness of the up to 280 aircraft stored by the company.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Progress made in US west coast dockworker discussions

splash247.com
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union announced yesterday that it reached a tentative agreement with employers at the Pacific Maritime Association on certain key issues to continue working at US west coast ports including Los Angeles and Long Beach. Negotiations remain ongoing until an agreement is reached in what has been a lengthy, tense process after an earlier contract expired on July 1 last year. Read more here.

Transpacific rates shoot up as carriers prop up GRIs with more blanks

theloadstar.com
Container spot rates from Asia to the US west coast shot up this week, as carriers succeeded in implementing a good percentage of their mid-month GRIs.
Xeneta’s XSI Asia-US west coast component jumped 39%, to $1,604 per 40ft, while the Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) reading soared 71%, to $1,724 per feu. Read more here.

CANADA BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

B.C.’s Terminal 2 Roberts Bank project gets federal approval; 370 binding conditions

OTTAWA — The federal government has approved a contentious container port expansion project at Roberts Bank south of Vancouver, drawing swift condemnation from environmentalists.
The government said Thursday that the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project, proposed by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, can proceed, subject to 370 legally-binding conditions to protect the environment and prevent harm to local species. Read more here.

Potential Impacts of PSAC Strike

ciffa.com
CIFFA is monitoring the impact of the Public Service Alliance of Canada strike. At this point, we don’t anticipate major impacts on supply chains. Here is what we know so far.
•   If the strike goes on for a while, there may be safety measures introduced for vessels, as coast guard lighthouses are not “essential services.”
•   The CBSA is saying it will “maintain services.” However, PSAC president Chris Aylward has speculated that airports and ports will be slowed by reduced inspections.
•   Customs has been quiet, but had some labour unrest before the strike, so it may become a trouble spot.
•   Anyone trying to use temporary foreign workers or welcome new Canadians will have to wait.
•   At Transport Canada, licensing and security clearance badges will not be available. It looks like airworthiness testing will stop, but safety inspections and audits are supposed to continue.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

New survey reveals key supply chain cyber security weaknesses

aircargoweek.com
Attackers are targeting under-resourced suppliers with weaker defences as a way of disrupting or compromising larger organisations. The notable ransomware attack on a supplier to semiconductor giant Applied Materials is expected to lead to $250m in lost sales. With well over 60% of organisations having suffered a data breach through a third party, this regularly results in regulatory fines, huge data recovery costs and loss of consumer trust. Read more here.