Newsletter – January 10, 2019

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

IATA: air cargo volumes lost momentum towards the end of 2018

iata.org
Industry-wide FTKs were unchanged in year-on-year terms in November – the slowest growth rate since March 2016. All told, FTKs increased by 3.9% in annual terms over the first 11 months of 2018, compared to 10.0% over the same period a year ago.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Trans-Pacific Market: Lunar New Year Void Sailings

apl.com
Please be informed that APL will be implementing void sailings on our Asia-North America services to meet reduced demand during the Lunar New Year period. Read more here. 

ZIM extends relationship with MSC and Maersk to the US west coast and the Mediterranean

splash247.com
ZIM has further cosied up to the world’s top two liners, Maersk and MSC, in what its CEO described today as a game-changing agreement for the Israeli containerline.  Read more here. 

Storm impacts MSC Zoe cleanup operations

splash247.com
Efforts to clean up the debris following the loss of 281 containers over the side of the giant MSC Zoe boxship are being hampered by inclement weather off the Netherlands. Read more here. 

Hong Kong container terminal operators form alliance to boost services

transportweekly.com
Hongkong International Terminals Limited, Modern Terminals Limited, Cosco-HIT Terminals (Hong Kong) Limited, and Asia Container Terminals Limited have jointly announced the formation of the Hong Kong Seaport Alliance (The Seaport Alliance), according to Shipping Gazette. Read more here. 

OOCL cancels 14 Trans-Pacific sailings on Chinese New Year lull

seanews.com.tr
HONG Kong’s Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), now a Cosco unit, has announced the cancellation of 14 sailings on the Trans-Pacific trade following the Lunar New Year holiday period. Read more here. 

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

50,000 garment workers strike in Bangladesh, demand higher wages

rte.ie
One striking garment worker has been killed and 50 others injured in Bangladesh after police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at around 5,000 protesters in Dhaka.
Water cannon was also used to disperse 10,000 strikers in a fourth day of industrial action who were blocking a major highway in Savar. Read more here. 

US Government shut down: So far, so good for air traffic and cargo flow

seanews.com.tr
THE US Government shutdown of non-essential services has not hindered air traffic or impeded cargo flow so far, reports London’s Loadstar.
‘We have not seen any meaningful delays or disruptions in the ability to move and clear freight,’ said Jon Slangerup, CEO of American Global Logistics consultancy. Read more here.