Newsletter – March 21, 2024

THE Alliance goes large on the transpacific to reassure shippers
theloadstar.com
To reassure shippers that its transpacific coverage will remain strong, THE Alliance (Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, HMM and Yang Ming) will reinstate two transpacific services after suspending the strings for almost half a year. Read more here (login required).

Maersk reacts to calmer market and restores standalone transpacific loop
theloadstar.com
Maersk and MSC are busy reviewing new standalone east-west service opportunities outside their 2M Alliance cooperation, with just 10 months of the vessel-sharing agreement left to run.
However, the Danish carrier’s decision making will be complicated by its partnership with Hapag-Lloyd in the Gemini Cooperation from next February, whereas for non-alliance participating MSC, its standalone offering will most likely remain as is. Read more here.

Niche players continue to risk Red Sea transits with new services – at a price
theloadstar.com
Singapore-based NVOCC Summit Shipping has started its own liner operation, the latest opportunist to launch a service to the Red Sea.
Its JEA-ADE-JIB service links Aden, Djibouti and Jebel Ali, using the 713 teu chartered Ji Zhe 2. Read more here (login required).

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GROUND AND RAIL FREIGHT UPDATES

‘Massive’ rate increase needed to finance $1 trillion electric trucking conversion
ccjdigital.com
Battery electric trucking is an almost $1 trillion proposition, and that doesn’t include the cost of acquisition for the actual trucks, according to a report released Tuesday by the Clean Freight Coalition (CFC), an alliance of truck transportation stakeholders whose founding members include the American Trucking Associations and Truckload Carriers Association, among others.  Read more here.

UK train drivers to strike on tube and rail network
ajot.com
The UK’s rail network and London Underground lines will be brought to a standstill again after train and tube drivers announced strikes in April and May as part of an ongoing dispute over pay and working conditions.
The Aslef union said Wednesday its drivers would walk out across 16 major rail companies on April 5, 6 and 8. Tube workers in the capital will also walk out on April 8, as well as on Saturday May 4. Read more here.

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INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

Consumer products and logistics firms struggling with digitisation
theloadstar.com
Companies in the consumer products, retail and logistics arena are struggling to make digitisation investments pay, and lag other sectors, putting them behind in the quest for AI-driven solutions.
A study by Forrester Research found that progress appears to be further threatened by cost-cutting efforts targeting supply chains. Read more here (login required).