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Newsletter- February 24, 2020
AIR FREIGHT UPDATES
DDC to begin commercial testing of its largest cargo delivery drone
canadianshipper.comToronto, ON — Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) announced that it will begin the commercialization of the Condor. The Condor has a lifting capability of 180kgs (400lbs) of payload, a travel range of 200kms and an operating speed of 120kph. The multi-package payload compartment is designed to carry approximately 20 cubic feet of cargo. Read more here.
OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES
Coronavirus: Shippers allowed shipside loading and pickup amid packed port storage yards
lloydsloadinglist.comSeveral major Chinese container ports are letting shippers go to ships at berth to load or pick up cargo directly, as storage yards are overcrowded as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.A pilot run will start from March 1 at the port of Shanghai, the world’s busiest of its kind, according to a notification on Friday by the Shanghai International Port Group. Read more here.
Maersk: Significant Labor Shortage at Chinese Ports
maritime-executive.comOn Thursday, Maersk CEO Soren Skou warned that the world’s biggest ocean carrier is experiencing significant disruption at Chinese seaports due to the effects of the coronavirus outbreak.“We are experiencing huge pressure at [Chinese] terminals because there aren’t enough workers at the ports to move the containers around, not enough truck drivers to move the goods, and no one to receive them at the factories or warehouses,” Skou said. Read more here.
HMM joins THE Alliance’s three-loop Asia-Middle East network
theloadstar.comHMM has muscled its way into THE Alliance’s Asia-Middle East offering in the newly launched network.However, the South Korean carrier has still not decided to participate in THEA’s transatlantic network, after it pulled out of its slot charter deal with the 2M in May 2018, following months of heavy losses and being obliged to compensate Maersk and MSC for the 700 slots a week deal. Read more here.
Coronavirus mitigation: OOCL extends free time in cargo detention
seanews.com.tr
HONG KONG’s Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) is offering an extended free time period in the cargo detention calculation from February 10 to 16 in consideration of the coronavirus outbreak in China.
This is in addition to the arrangement presented in the customer advisory on February 3. This extension is only applicable to import cargo inbound to northern and southern China, and excludes other items such as storage and monitoring fees. Read more here.
GROUND AND RAIL FREIGHT UPDATES
Police move to clear rail blockade on Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory
canadianshipper.comTyendinaga Mohwak Territory, ON — Ontario Provincial Police moved Monday morning to clear a rail blockade on Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory.The blockade near Belleville, Ont., has crippled both freight and passenger rail traffic in most of eastern Canada for nearly three weeks. Read more here.
Companies Have Spent Over $16 Billion On Robocars. It’s A Drop In The Bucket
forbes.comRecent research at tech newsletter “The Information” calculates that the various companies have spent around $16 billion on self-driving car projects, calling it a “money pit.” (Story is behind paywall, but the free lede contains a chart with much of the information.) Read more here.