Supply chain

The prolonged rent increases over the past decade for logistics space are beginning to moderate, although growing imports and strong demand for e-commerce fulfillment space in the largest seaport cities will keep industrial real estate development robust through the end of the year.

Shippers benefit from logistics systems integrations, some of which they don’t even see, as 3PLs and software vendors develop embedded pricing and visibility functionality.

A forfeiture would have pushed up Mediterrean Shipping Co.’s charterer rates, compounding the pain the carrier has already suffered via delayed shipments, added docking fees, and damage to its brand.

A bill introduced in Congress addresses two key complaints among cargo owners and transportation providers regarding the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program: murky benefits for onerous program requirements and concerns over backlash if suspended or expelled.

Software user interfaces are slowly becoming a higher priority for shippers as software vendors invest in making their systems more intuitive, but the importance of the UI depends on the role.

Carriers are going beyond setting up logistics arms and instead making the end-to-end reach a full company play rather than standalone attempt to offer the higher value and margin services as the NVOs they compete and partner with.

While blockchain as a mechanism to speed the digitization of shipping documentation gets traction, development by a TradeLens rival will test whether systems are interoperable.

Shippers testing the efficacy of digital freight matching tools, whether from new broker entrants or through established providers, now have the option of working with larger brokerages such as GlobalTranz and JB Hunt.

DHL Supply Chain Research finds businesses of all types struggling to keep up with the pace of e-commerce as they work to realign supply chain and transportation networks.

Kontainers is betting that small forwarders will gravitate toward a transaction pricing-based quoting platform to compete with the inevitable shift to freight e-commerce

The recently signed free trade agreement between the EU and Vietnam will initially be tricky to navigate for European importers, but the long-term benefits will be significant.

ZeBox is more than a technology pipeline for CMA CGM alone, and that ultimately might be what allows it to flourish and drive more software value for shippers.

A visibility software provider said shipping lines are expecting something in return for providing data to third-party software companies, a change from the past.

The US has hit the pause button in its trade war with China and has shifted its attention back to Europe where tariff threats are hurting business confidence, especially in the German vehicle and spare parts market.

The lack of cross-training for various functions is creating an environment where fewer workers have the ability to solve problems creatively, according to conversations with more than a dozen industry veterans over the last year.

Maersk’s rival carriers understand their data will be kept private, and broader carrier acceptance will drive more value for shippers, Maersk’s TradeLens emphasized to JOC.com.

With the addition of Hapag-Lloyd and Ocean Network Express (ONE), TradeLens members now control more than 61 percent of global containership capacity, according to maritime analyst Alphaliner.

Carriers, bunker suppliers, and refiners have had years to prepare for the IMO 2020 low-sulfur mandate, but as the six-month countdown begins, experts warn of a coming supply “scramble” and price uncertainty.

Truckers using older electronic logging technology should switch to ELDs now, and not wait for a December deadline, the head of the US truck safety watchdog agency said.

Whatever people might think of the various proposed solutions, one thing is clear: the issue of decarbonization in international shipping isn’t going anywhere.

Mis-declared cargoes are a significant risk to container ships and crews, but a project being undertaken will consider whether blockchain can play a role in minimizing future incidents.

Continued depressed pricing has caused service levels in the refrigerated cargo market to deteriorate, but BCOs say there are other issues that need addressing as well.

Supply chain technologies carry a disproportionate importance in emerging markets, where administrative and physical waste creates extra cost for shippers and end consumers.

Strong demand for warehouse space fueled by booming e-commerce and the third-party logistics providers that serve it means high levels of warehouse development have not lowered vacancy rates, or made it easier for shippers to find space.

Many of the communications systems knocked out by a ransomware attack against A. Duie Pyle have been restored. But the attack signals a growing cyber threat.

Ike, a developer of automated trucks led by veterans of Uber, Google and Apple, says ATs are entering a new phase, but still many years from widespread use.

Marine industry leaders testified before the Section 301 Committee to lobby against a 25 percent tariff on shipping containers and ship-to-shore cranes, repeating many of the arguments made a year ago about the business fallouts.

Eleven major banks representing 20 percent of the global shipping finance portfolio have signed off on a framework agreement aimed at aligning investors with the IMO’s 2050 mandate to cut CO2 emissions 50 percent from 2008 levels.

A ransomware attack temporarily knocked communications offline at one of the largest Northeast less-than-truckload carriers.

US agriculture exporters should brace themselves for a prolonged trade war that will continue to erode their share of the all-important China market because China won’t budge on certain demands, and Trump’s self-image is inflated by being tough on China.

The freight rate management software provider Catapult will directly integrate Xeneta contract rate benchmarking data to help forwarders and NVOs determine if their contract rates are competitive.

The US Department of Transportation is accepting grant applications for $292.7 million in funding dedicated to port infrastructure development.

The success of digital freight matching technology will largely rely on the extent to which shippers stop viewing the spot market as a last resort and start viewing it as a strategic tool.

Three options are on the table for European regulators as they ponder renewing, abolishing, or amending consortia block exemption rules.

Commercial realtor CBRE forecasts refrigerated warehousing will increase 30 to 40 percent over the next five years, even though the rapid supply and demand imbalance in warehousing overall is flattening.

Shippers might dream of a single end-to-end visibility system, but providers still specialize in certain areas, so a more realistic approach is figuring out how to stitch deep, but narrow, systems together.

Blockchain technology being applied to the bill of lading on the Asia-Europe trade.

Visibility solutions must provide ROI to shippers, but to truly drive the value of such technologies, the benefits need to be dispersed to 3PLs and carriers as well.

Shippers and providers are watching Mexico’s new customs head to see if he can improve the fluidity of imports even as supply chains handle ever more cargo.

Tariffs come and go, and carriers consolidate, but most markets for packaged and fresh food are pretty stable.