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UK industry outlines challenges increased bureaucracy will bring

UK manufacturers fear increased delays created by increased bureaucracy will create friction in supply chains, raising costs and hitting companies’ competitiveness compared with European counterparts. 
In a survey, by PwC, of 228 members of the manufacturers’ association Make UK, two-thirds believed Brexit had affected their business. UK newspaper The Guardian reports: “More than half of firms warned they were likely to suffer further damage this year from customs delays due to import …

The post

https://theloadstar.com/uk-industry-outlines-challenges-increased-bureaucracy-will-bring/

How the ‘cocaine-collectors’ retrieve smuggled drugs in Rotterdam

Claims that the Dutch container gateway of Rotterdam has become a hub for European imports of cocaine and other illicit drugs will come as no surprise to anyone who works in the sector. But how it actually works in practice, with gangs of so-called collectors climbing over the port’s box terminals’ fences and breaking into containers holding contraband, is vividly described in this in-depth BBC report. It also details the …

The post How the ‘cocaine-collectors’ retrieve smuggled drugs in...

https://theloadstar.com/how-the-cocaine-collectors-retrieve-smuggled-drugs-in-rotterdam/

Sailing towards record profits, Maersk will give $80m bonus to employees

The AP Møller-Maersk group is set to award a $1,000 annual bonus to its 80,000 employees, according to this report from Bloomberg via gCaptain, although this will not include the company’s 400 most senior executives, many of whom already have bonuses linked to group profits. The group is forecast to make a net profit of over $17bn this year, compared with $2.9bn last year, leaving some employees to question why …

The post Sailing towards record profits, Maersk will give $80m bonus to employees...

https://theloadstar.com/sailing-towards-record-profits-maersk-will-give-80m-bonus-to-employees/

UN urges authorities to ‘monitor freight rates’ and ‘strengthen competition’

UNCTAD, the UN’s trade and development body, yesterday warned that surging freight rates in container shipping had implications for policymakers. Far from the expected slump in shipping when Covid hit, as we all know, in fact demand has been high – and so are rates. This four-page document notes the shortage of ships and boxes and the surge in rates. It explains the problems with routes over the past year, …

The post UN urges authorities to ‘monitor freight rates’ and ‘strengthen competition’...

https://theloadstar.com/un-urges-authorities-to-monitor-freight-rates-and-strengthen-competition/

Heroes to rescue stranded gnomes? We’re a little short of them

A (light-hearted) Twitter poll by Flexport, which has some 43 boxes on the Ever Given, asked: should the company a) wait patiently; b) sue everyone; or c) carry out a daring hostage rescue operation? Perhaps unsurprisingly, the latter option won 60% of the vote, with people suggesting daring helicopter or drone raids, or making use of Flexport’s recent hiring of ex-marines.
Which leads us to the latest Ever Given crisis – …

The post Heroes to rescue stranded gnomes? We’re a little short of them...

https://theloadstar.com/heroes-to-rescue-stranded-gnomes-were-a-little-short-of-them/

Shippers warned against ‘worse-than-average’ US hurricane season

It never rains, but it pours … Shippers are being warned of more supply chain disruption when the hurricane season hits the US in June.
Colorado State University said the “2021 Atlantic basin hurricane season will have above-normal activity”.
“We anticipate an above-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the continental United States coastline and in the Caribbean.”
The academics found there was a near-70% chance of a major hurricane striking somewhere along …

The post Shi...

https://theloadstar.com/shippers-warned-against-worse-than-average-us-hurricane-season/

Special report: how Bolloré won control of Ghana’s biggest port

Africa Confidential has published a potentially explosive report on corporate comings and goings at Ghana’s Tema port. It looks at Bolloré Africa Logistics, which is involved in a chain of 18 West African container terminals, and along with partner APM Terminals won a deal to operate the new terminal. But a secret Ghanaian ministerial report on the deal notes a “lack of transparency and ethical discipline”, and it concludes that …

The post Special report: how Bolloré won control of Ghana’s...

https://theloadstar.com/special-report-how-vincent-bollore-won-control-of-ghanas-biggest-port/

Hapag-Lloyd acquires African trade specialist NileDutch

Splash247 reports German liner shipping company Hapag-Lloyd’s acquisition of African trade specialist NileDutch. It’s not a big deal, the Rotterdam-based carrier operates 10 services between Europe, West Africa and Latin America and has a fleet capacity of around 80,000 teu. But it is an important step for Hapag-Lloyd’s efforts to increase its presence in the West African markets. Purchase price currently remains undisclosed.

The post Hapag-Lloyd acquires African trade specialist NileDutch...

https://theloadstar.com/hapag-lloyd-acquires-african-trade-specialist-niledutch/

Seaspan continues its newbuild buying spree

Courtesy of gCaptain, this story gives a nice snapshot of the fleet development under way at the world’s largest non-operating shipowner, Seaspan, after it yesterday announced an order for six 15,000 teu newbuild vessels. Seaspan has now announced 31 newbuild orders, including two 24,000 teu vessels and the acquisition of two second-hand 2019-built vessels, since December 2020. This must rank as one of the largest fleet expansion plans in liner …

The post Seaspan continues its newbuild buying...

https://theloadstar.com/seaspan-continues-its-newbuild-buying-spree/

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