Newsletter – January 26, 2024

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

January air cargo volumes “significantly up” on last year
aircargonews.net
Worldwide air cargo demand in January remains “significantly up” on a year ago with improvements across nearly all the main regions, according to the latest figures from data provider WorldACD.
Figures from the company show that in the two weeks running to January 21, air cargo demand levels are up 5% compared with the same period last year. Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Maersk Line Ltd. Quits Red Sea After Attack on U.S.-Flag Ships
maritime-executive.com
On Wednesday, A.P. Moller-Maersk said that two of its U.S.-flag ships had detected nearby explosions while transiting Bab el-Mandeb, and had turned back from the strait on the U.S. Navy’s instructions. The company says its U.S. ships will now also suspend Red Sea operations. Read more here.

GROUND AND RAIL FREIGHT UPDATES

Mexico aims to compete with Panama Canal by using cargo trains
freightwaves.com
With drought at the Panama Canal and conflicts in the Red Sea and other global shipping lanes disrupting trade, officials in Mexico predict a golden opportunity for the country’s $2.8 billion Isthmus of Tehuantepec’s Interoceanic Corridor (CIIT) project.
The initiative is converting the isthmus in southern Mexico, which represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean in the country, into a 188-mile rail corridor that could handle up to 1.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units annually by 2033. Read more here.

CANADA BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

Government of Canada Invests in Projects in Quebec to Improve Supply Chains
canada.ca
The Government of Canada is investing more than $2.6 million for two projects in Quebec through the National Trade Corridors Fund. The digital project and study selected for investment are intended to harness data and technological solutions to generate supply chain efficiencies along key Canadian trade corridors.
The Government of Canada will contribute:
• Up to $2.6 million to the Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en analyse des organisations (CIRANO) to implement a data science and knowledge transfer hub for trade and intermodal transportation in the St. Lawrence-Great Lakes Corridor.
• Up to $50,000 to CargoM to implement an automated tool to identify available indoor and outdoor storage spaces in the Greater Montreal area, which will improve fluidity and reduce supply chain congestion in the Port of Montreal area. Read more here.

UK Walks Away from Trade Talks with Canada
cbc.ca
British negotiators walked away from trade talks with Canada Thursday – a dramatic development that taps the brakes on a bilateral trade deal between the two Commonwealth nations that has been years in the making.
A major sticking point is how much access UK producers should have to the Canadian cheese market. Read more here.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS-GOVERNMENT UPDATES

ICS2: Are you ready for the new requirements?
theloadstar.com
Did you know that cargo movements into the EU will be further impacted by the ICS2 for maritime regulation that is scheduled to go into effect on 3 June 2024?
Release 3 will see the phased implementation for maritime, road, and rail and will affect all operators carrying goods by sea, road, and rail. Industry watchers are keeping a close eye on the implementation planning and guidance, especially on the maritime requirements which can have complex routings and will have a … Read more here (login required).

Alarm as road blocks by truckers and farmers spread across Europe
theloadstar.com
The World Road Transport Organisation (IRU) has urged EU member states to address the “threat to free movement” from protests by farmers and truckers sweeping across the continent.
In the past 24 hours, roadblocks and rolling blockades have spread across France, in response to farmers’ anger at efforts by supermarkets to force down prices, and there is a combined protest by German farmers and truckers against environmental legislation. Read more here (login required).