Newsletter – February 17, 2021

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

Forwarders and airlines get set for Unicef mass vaccine distribution plan

theloadstar.com
Six global forwarders will ultimately determine the rates paid to airlines by Unicef for vaccine distribution.
Yesterday, 16 airlines announced they had signed MoUs with Unicef to support its global vaccination plan.
The agreements, which last five years, do not include pricing, according to the UN children’s organisation. Read more here (login required).

Air freight charter volumes soar due to ocean congestion, PPE surge and Brexit

lloydsloadinglist.com
Leading air charter broker Air Charter Service (ACS) recorded spectacular growth in its cargo activity in January and the trend has continued into the current month, with a threefold rise this year driven by sea freight supply chain issues, a resurgence in personal protective equipment, and post-Brexit uncertainty. Read more here.

If drones can deliver Starbucks, what’s taking so long for packages?

freightwaves.com
If you live in Fayetteville, North Carolina, you can now have Starbucks delivered — not quite in your backyard yet, but soon perhaps.
An Israeli drone company, Flytrex, has been testing drone delivery in North Carolina, delivering items from restaurants in the Holly Springs Towne Center to a pickup location within a five-minute drone flight. Starbucks, Dairy Queen Blizzards, pastries and light meals are among the menu items. Read more here.

Amazon Air paves way for third-party delivery

freightwaves.com
Amazon’s (NASDQ: AMZN) private cargo airline will nearly double the number of flights operated in a year by this summer as it rapidly grows its fleet, laying the groundwork for significant expansion of next-day delivery options and potentially hauling third-party shipments, researchers at DePaul University say.
Amazon’s air network has evolved to the point that in the next 18 months it could begin shipping packages of goods not purchased on the Amazon platform, the authors predict in a report released Tuesday. Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Major economic and logistics impacts for Quebec and Ontario businesses that use the Port of Montreal

port-montreal.com
Montreal, February 17, 2021 — As the negotiation process is currently suspended and the truce between the dockworkers’ union CUPE 375 and the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) draws to a close, and in the context of an unprecedented pandemic that the Canadian economy must continue to face, the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) hopes that the parties will quickly reach an agreement to avoid a new work stoppage by the dockworkers. Already, the Port of Montreal’s user companies and clients are feeling the impacts. Read more here.

China’s megaports strengthen grip on box trade

lloydsloadinglist.com
China’s centrality to global trade was further emphasised in 2020 when its leading container hubs continued to record volume growth despite Covid-19 supply chain disruptions.
Chinese ports occupy six of the top eight spots in Alphaliner’s ranking of the world’s top 25 container ports by volume in 2020, although some of the country’s second-tier ports did see volumes slide. Read more here.

Maersk will operate the world’s first carbon neutral containership by 2023 in big methanol breakthrough

splash247.com
Maersk today officially fast-tracked its decarbonisation plans, with a methanol-fuelled 2,000 teu feeder vessel set to be ordered this year to begin operating in 2023. The world’s largest container line also said today that all future Maersk owned newbuildings will have dual fuel technology installed. Read more here.

Seafarer shortage warning post-pandemic

splash247.com
The global crew change crisis could lead to a shortage of seafarers if exhausted crew choose to leave the shipping industry rather than risk another long period trapped at sea, the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ) has warned.
Rear Admiral (retired) Peter Brady, MAJ director general, advised of the potential danger to the shipping industry if there is a mass exodus of crews from their seagoing jobs to take up shore-based employment which gives them more time with their families. Read more here.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS- GOVERNMENT UPDATES

Truckers join protests in Myanmar adding to pressure on supply chains

theloadstar.com
Truckers join protests in Myanmar adding to pressure on supply chains. Mass political protests from an emerging civil disobedience movement has caused further freight disruption in Myanmar. … “Some shipping lines have pushed back their vessel arrival dates, with delays of about three days at Yangon port.” Read more here (login required).