About: Paul Kelly

Times may be challenging, but there are some massive exporting opportunities for ambitious exporters that have the right support, to convert these opportunities into profit across Asia, North America and Mexico.

The world’s second largest container carrier, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), has had its CTPAT status suspended, following the seizure of 15.5 tons of cocaine from the containership MSC Gayane in the Port of Philadelphia.

A global economic slowdown, trade wars and Brexit uncertainty are slowing demand and increasing the surplus capacity on the Asia-Europe trade, leading some shipping lines to make deep capacity cuts ahead of the peak season.

When President Trump initiated a trade war with China last year, the Chinese retaliated by increasing duties on US exports, while simultaneously decreasing the tariffs that other trading partners faced, creating a significant opportunity for active exporters.

With ramifications for shippers, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has ruled that from the 1st January 2020, the marine sector will have to reduce sulphur emissions by over 80%, by cleaning existing fuel systems (using scrubbers) or switching to more expensive lower sulphur fuels.

Intermodal rail freight services are growing rapidly, with 65 routes now service 14 countries. Stefan Holmqvist, managing director of NGL Asia, talked to Dragon News about this vibrant mode and how NGL’s rail freight business has grown by several hundred percentage points, in just a few years.

British businesses can take advantage of a new “land of opportunity” after Brexit, in the United States. Norman Global Logistics are adding more resource and enhancing our trans-Atlantic services and capabilities to support existing and new US shippers.

The forecast slowdown in trade demand in 2019 and more new container ships due on the Asian trade, has already seen increased use of slow steaming, ship idling, blank sailings, and exhaust scrubbers to absorb additional capacity, and it is now announced that APL, will exit the Asia-Europe trade altogether.

Norman Global Logistics have been operating sea and air freight services to and from Mexico for over 10 years, with our local partner macargo and are gearing up for further growth as Brexit nears.

The Port of Felixstowe has taken delivery of its first remote-controlled Rubber Tyred Gantry cranes (RTGs) which are being deployed to help the port act more dynamically to meet peaks in demand.