Newsletter – April 28, 2023

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

Threat to freighters as parts shortages hobble airlines, manufacturers and MRO

theloadstar.com
Buoyed by strong passenger demand, airlines have ramped up their schedules aggressively for the summer season, but they may get tripped up by a lack of functioning aircraft.
Supply chain problems in the aerospace sector are hobbling aircraft output and causing carriers to resort to desperate measures to keep their planes in the air – and the problem is not going away soon. Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Soft demand pushes ocean spot rates to ‘their lowest sustainable level’

theloadstar.com
Weak demand in the three major ocean trades, coupled with the expected flood of new tonnage, will feed declining rates, according to the latest report by Maritime Strategies International (MSI).
And ONE CEO Jeremy Nixon said today: “Demand in the last quarter [Q1 23] has been significantly weaker than the previous two years’ first calendar quarters.” Read more here.

Shippers fear Indian cargo ruling will add to congestion at Chittagong

theloadstar.com
Shippers using Bangladesh’s Chittagong port fear there is not enough capacity, following the country’s decision to open its two seaports, Chittagong and Mongla, to Indian domestic cargo destined for seven states in the north-east. Read more here.

GROUND AND RAIL REIGHT UPDATES

CP Customer Advisory: 2023 Quebec Spring Thaw Restrictions – Domestic Intermodal

ciffa.com
The Quebec Ministry of Transportation has advised that the spring thaw for Zone 1 will come to an end on Friday, April 28, at 23:59 ET.
CP will begin allowing post-spring thaw weights to in-gate as follows.
Zone 2 restrictions will end on May 19, Zone 3 on May 26. If shipping to either of those zones, add three weeks to the timelines above.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

Mexico’s Exports Hit Record in Sign Nearshoring Is Booming

news.bloomberglaw.com
Mexico’s exports reached a record $53.6 billion in March, leading to an unexpected trade surplus, as the country continues to benefit from US demand for its manufactured products.
Total Mexican shipments abroad rose 3.2% in annual terms last month, faster than the 1.1% increase in imports, which hit $52.4 billion, the country’s statistics institute said on Thursday. That led to a $1.17 billion trade surplus, compared to a $900 million deficit expected by analysts in a Bloomberg survey. Read more here.