Newsletter – December 18, 2018

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

November cargo decrease for Hong Kong airport

aircargonews.net
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) saw cargo and airmail throughput decrease by 2% over prior year in November to 466,000 tonnes.
The world’s number one cargo hub by volume, handling 5m tonnes of cargo and mail in 2017, reported a 3% drop in imports and a 4% fall in exports last month. Read more here. 

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Transpacific cools as American importers become overstocked

splash247.com
Santa’s sleighs have been reined in for the year with news the transpacific box trade bull-run has reached its winter solstice. Read more here. 

East-West box demand growth to slow next year

lloydsloadinglist.com
Demand growth on Asia-Europe and transpacific headhaul ocean carrier services will slow next year, weakening spot rates in the first quarter of 2019 after February’s Chinese New Year holidays, according to analysts.  Read more here. 

Exclusive: Dubai’s DP World seeks to quash India antitrust probe over Mumbai port – court filing

reuters.com
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Dubai’s DP World has approached an Indian court to quash an antitrust investigation recently ordered into its alleged anti-competitive behavior at the country’s largest container port in Mumbai, a legal document reviewed by Reuters showed. Read more here.

Supply chain radar: What price will the Long Beach Terminal sale really fetch?

theloadstar.co.uk
I have wondered how to value certain “strategic” infrastructure assets in the shipping world ever since we reported last year that COSCO appeased US security concerns over its acquisition of OOIL and its container arm OOCL by agreeing to concede ownership of the OOCL-operated Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT) to a US trust pending its sale to a third party. Read more here

GROUND AND RAIL FREIGHT UPDATES

Distraction or disruption? Autonomous trucks gain ground in US logistics

mckinsey.com
As logistics goes digital, profound changes are coming to industry structure, operations, and profits. In the first of a series, we examine the impact of autonomous trucks. Read more here. 

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

Strikes at 50 Factories and One Port in Bangladesh Hamper Garment Supply Chain

sourcingjournal.com
Conditions in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector are growing strained this week as factory and port workers have taken to striking over wages and, in some cases, goods movement has been stalled. Read more here.