Newsletter – February 7, 2023

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

IATA: Mixed outlook as volumes decline again in December

aircargonews.net
Air cargo volumes declined for the tenth month in a row in December and there are mixed signals for the year ahead, according to IATA.
Figures from the airline association show that demand in cargo tonne km (CTK) terms declined by 15.3% year on year in December and by 8% for the full year. Read more here.

Mexican cargo operations set to move

aircargonews.net
Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador has confirmed the government has struck an agreement with some airlines to shift cargo operations from Benito Juarez International Airport (Mexico City International Airport) to Felipe Angeles International Airport (AFIA)
On the president’s official website, a press release on February 1 stated that Obrador has reported that flights at AIFA will increase due to the voluntary transfer of airlines. Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Earthquake rattles Turkish ports

splash247.com
A number of ports are still out of action in Türkiye more than 24 hours after the southeast of the nation was rocked by a massive earthquake which has killed more than 4,300 people.
Iskenderun, a major port on the Mediterranean, suffered structural damage, as well as a severe blaze as containers caught fire yesterday. Aerial images show box stacks collapsed across the port, and a blaze in the middle of a container yard, which spread fast.
“The port has unfortunately been subject to severe structural damage, leading to a complete stop of all operations until further notice. Read more here.

FMC demands answers from MSC over congestion surcharges

splash247.com
Using its new found powers granted by president Joe Biden, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has taken aim at the world’s largest containerline, Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC).
The FMC is questioning a congestion fee MSC charged SOFi Paper Products in a first case of its kind since the passing last year of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA). Read more here.

GROUND AND RAIL FREIGHT UPDATES

US truckers celebrate court victory, after being ‘held hostage’ by carriers

theloadstar.com
Movement of freight in the US will be easier following a Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) judge ruling that shipping lines violated the Ocean Shipping Reform Act 2022 when requiring operators to use specific intermodal equipment providers.
Judge Erin Wirth yesterday ruled that the shipping lines involved, including MSC, CMA CGM, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, and the Ocean Carrier Equipment Management Association (OCEMA), which oversees chassis pool arrangements, prevented customers choosing their own chassis provider to deliver containers. Read more here (login required).