Newsletter – January 12, 2021

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

Ottawa Urged To Halt Air Canada Air Transat Take Over

simpleflying.com
An influential Quebec businessman is urging the Canadian government to block the sale of Air Transat to Air Canada, offering 20% more per share than Canada’s largest airline. Pierre Karl Péladeau, the CEO of Quebecor – a telecommunications, media, and sales conglomerate – has sent multiple letters to the federal cabinet, including Canada’s Transportation Minister, requesting that the sale be denied. Read more here.

How South American Airlines Are Responding To New COVID Variants

simpleflying.com
In an attempt to reduce or stop the spreading of the new COVID-19 variants in the region, the Latin American Governments are imposing new travel restrictions. So far, no country has officially closed its airspace; nevertheless, it is a possibility. The airlines in Latin America are readapting once again to the uncertainty. Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Shipping line reliability and accountability now ‘a thing of the past’

theloadstar.com
Shipping lines are facing increasingly angry customers as rates continue to soar and service levels plunge. Many are noting their frustrations on LinkedIn as the debate over whether carriers are profiteering rumbles on. In one typical example, the international transport manager for a furniture company claims accountability and reliability are now a “thing of the past”, while playing the blame game is the new top trend. Read more here.

Scrapping plans abandoned as ‘aggressive’ box carriers hunt available tonnage

theloadstar.com
Containership demolition virtually dried up in December as shipowners and carriers deployed all available tonnage to meet surging demand across trades.
Huge spikes in ocean freight rates in the second half of last year and corresponding hikes in charter hire rates enabled previously uneconomic smaller containerships to become sought-after by carriers desperate to plug gaps in their networks and take advantage of the demand boom. Read more here.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

Shippers urged to pack goods properly

insidelogistics.ca
Bad packing is responsible for multi-million dollar cargo losses and loss of life.
Analysis by insurer TT Club finds that two thirds of incidents related to cargo damage are caused or exacerbated by poor practices at the time of packing goods into a freight container. Such malpractice results in financial losses, and tragic containership fires with loss of seafarers lives and significant delays. Read more here.

2020 retail imports may break record despite pandemic

nrf.com
WASHINGTON – Imports seen during 2020 appear to be headed toward a new record despite the coronavirus pandemic, and remain at high levels as 2021 begins, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. Read more here.