Newsletter – March 6, 2024

Lufthansa Cargo Woes Continue as Ver.di Union Vows to Fight 
theloadstar.com
Following repeated strikes at its hubs across Germany, Lufthansa is to engage in further negotiations with trade union ver.di.
Ground staff at Lufthansa Cargo have been striking intermittently since the start of the year, calling for a 12.5% increase on their basic salary, among other conditions. Read more here (login required).

Cargolux takes a stand on disposable e-cigarettes
aircargonews.net
Cargolux will no longer transport disposable electronic cigarettes in response to concerns over their impact on health and the environment.
The all-cargo airline said that the ban would also apply to its Cargolux Italia and comes in response to “growing concern about the adverse effects of these products on both public health and the environment”. Read more here.

Airfreight rates on major trades remain down on 2023 levels in February
aircargonews.net
Air cargo rates continued to register declines on major east-west trades in February compared with last year as the timing of Lunar New Year break affected performance.
The latest figures from the Baltic Exchange Airfreight Index (BAI) show that rates from Hong Kong to North America were down 5.5% year on year in February to $4.66 per kg. Read more here.

E-commerce traffic surge raises airfreight capacity concerns
theloadstar.com
Faced with uncertain economic indicators, most forwarders have backed away from capacity commitments and kept a large portion of their airfreight spend ad hoc.
However, bucking the trend, Seko Logistics has reserved more long-term lift out of Asia. Read more here (login required).

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OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

TPM24: Contracts: shippers and forwarders wary of usual 12-month deals
theloadstar.com
The annual transpacific contract tender bartering season is in full swing at the S&P Global TPM24 conference and networking event in Long Beach, California.
The meeting rooms and halls of the vast venue are populated with formal, informal and sounding-out conversations on rates and routings for Asian container imports for the traditional May to April 12-month period. Read more here (login required).

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GROUND AND RAIL FREIGHT UPDATES

CN reaches agreement with United Steelworkers
insidelogistics.ca
CN announced that a new tentative three-year collective agreement has been reached with the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 2004.
USW represents approximately 2,500 track and bridge employees at CN, primarily responsible for track maintenance across Canada.  Read more here.

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CANADA BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

B.C. asks Trudeau to soften hit from foreign student crackdown
bnnbloomberg.ca
British Columbia is asking the Canadian government to spare schools that train people for key jobs such as trucking and health care from its crackdown on international student visas.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government is curbing the number of foreign students allowed into the country amid rising public frustration about housing costs. But it should be careful not to squeeze out students who can fill jobs in sectors where there are labor shortages, BC Post-Secondary Education Minister Lisa Beare told reporters Friday. Read more here.