Freight sector under pressure – VNL 
VNL has published its second-quarter 2025 outlook on freight transport developments. The ‘Austrian Supply Chain Pressure Index’ shows a 30% increase, indicating heightened supply risks. In road freight, new customs regulations and a persistent driver shortage are raising... more
Driver shortages worsening
The IRU’s 2024 global truck driver shortage report shows 3.6 million unfilled positions in 36 countries, similar to 2023 levels. However, structural concerns are rising, particularly the widening age gap. The proportion of drivers under 25 fell by 5.8% year-on-year, while... more
Milwaukee welcomes first international vessel
Port Milwaukee welcomed the Singapore-flagged ‘Patagonman’ as the first international vessel of the 2025 season on 30 March. The ship arrived after unloading cargo in Canada (Sault Ste Marie ON), following its transit through the St Lawrence Seaway, which reopened on 22 March.... more
JAL and Kalitta to cooperate on NRT–ORD
Starting today, 4 April, Japan Airlines (JAL) began offering cargo space on Kalitta Air-operated flights between Tokyo (NRT) and Chicago (ORD). This marks the first phase of a new collaboration effort between the two partners, with a full codeshare agreement also being... more
Tata begins hydrogen trials
Tata Motors has launched India’s first hydrogen truck trials, marking a step in decarbonising heavy goods transport under the national green-hydrogen mission. The 24-month trial includes 16 hydrogen-powered trucks, using both hydrogen internal combustion (H2-ICE) and fuel... more
Class societies to create emissions data standard
The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations agency in charge of regulating global shipping, has expanded its ‘IMO Compendium’ to include a new ‘Fuel oil consumption and CII reporting dataset’, with 140 harmonised data fields. Developed by the ‘Smart... more
US tariffs – Xeneta expects “seismic shock”
The global air cargo industry is facing major disruption, as the US imposes sweeping import tariffs from 9 April, including the elimination of de minimis exemptions for low-value shipments from China and Hong Kong from 2 May. These shipments will be subject to 30% duty or a... more
Two ONE services open Asian access to Argentina
TecPlata, ICTSI’s terminal near Buenos Aires, is enhancing its connectivity to Asia through Ocean Network Express’ new East Coast South America Express 2 (SX2) and River Plate Express (RPX) services. The SX2 links East Asia with South America, including a direct call at Pusan... more
ACS delivers earthquake aid to Myanmar and Thailand
Air Charter Service (ACS) has arranged several humanitarian charters following last Friday’s 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar. The epicentre was near Mandalay, but the tremors were felt as far as China and Thailand. With Mandalay’s airport unavailable, ACS is flying aid... more
DHL acquires Cryopdp
The DHL Group has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of Cryopdp, a special courier service by Cryoport that serves clinical trials and biopharma and the cell and gene therapy sectors. The move strengthens DHL’s capabilities in temperature-controlled logistics and supports... more