Red Sea challenges cause widespread delays, cashflow troubles for UK exporters

Maersk Container Industry appoints new CEO

The British Chamber of Commerce reports that 55% of exporters have had shipping operations impacted by disruptions in the Red Sea. The Chamber of Commerce’s Insights Unit reported widespread disruptions to British businesses, manufacturers and even retailers from ongoing attacks on ships that began late last year. How long can the situation continue before impacts […]

Logistics troubles mount for banana shipments through Panama Canal, so will that impact UK?

Costa Rican bananas packhouse Corbana

An article published in the Journal of Commerce by analyst Richard Bright analyzes the impact of transit cuts and delays in the Panama Canal regarding Latin American perishable exports that must pass through the Canal to reach their destination.  With delays on the Panama Canal already standing at 10 days for vessels that have not pre-booked a transit, there are […]

Potential threat of layoffs has Port of Liverpool workers on edge

A 12% year-on-year decrease in container volumes is worrying Port of Liverpool staff, which currently employs around 850 people.  Port owner Peel Ports and British syndicate Unite the Union are beginning a 45-day redundancy consultation that could lead to 15% of employees being terminated, Port Strategy reports. “This is a decision we have been wrestling with for […]

Worldwide container shipping rates rise after more than a year of declines

Antwerp port access blocked as ship runs aground

Spot rates for shipping containers jumped by the most in more than two years, a sign that a 16-month slump in ocean-freight costs that helped ease the sting of goods inflation is over, the American Journal of Transportation reports. The Drewry World Container Index composite increased 11.8% to $1,761 for a 40-foot container, the fourth straight advance […]

UK’s Nationwide Produce goes green with transformational expansion in Evesham

Nationwide Produce has been in business for nearly 50 years, helping both supply and serve customers through fresh fruit and vegetable growing, packing, shipping and much more. In fact, it prides itself on this tagline: “We do just about everything in fresh produce.” Known previously as Bernard O’Malley & Sons and operating out of Lancashire, […]

Shipping containers around a fifth less productive than pre-Covid

Antwerp port access blocked as ship runs aground

Congestion across global supply chains has meant shipping containers are an estimated 15% to 20% less productive than in pre-Covid-19 times, according to Drewry’s recently published Container Census & Leasing Annual Review & Forecast 2022/23 report. Drewry estimates that each container averaged 18.1 lifts in 2021 compared with 19.2 in 2020 and between 19.5 and 20.6 in […]