U-Freight America Inc.

The U-Freight Group's CEO Simon Wong featured in an article that appeared today in the monthly online newsletter produced by leading magazine Air Cargo News. His comments are well worth a read.https://https://lnkd.in/egbS5P7x #oceanfreight #shipping #containershipping #airfreight #trade #aircargo #logistics #haulage

2024: A year of transformation in global supply chains The U-Freight Group reflects on a year marked by significant events that have reshaped the global supply chain landscape and underscored the critical importance of resilience, adaptability, and innovation in the industry. Significant supply chain developments that defined 2024: - Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea: The ongoing crisis in the Red Sea continued to disrupt maritime trade, forcing vessels to reroute, creating new delays & challenges for shipping. - Labour Unrest: Strikes surged by 42% year-over-year. A three-day strike by dockworkers on the US East Coast in October highlighted growing tensions over automation, with further industrial action expected in early 2025. - eCommerce Growth: With online shopping continuing to soar, air freight demand surged as businesses scrambled to meet rising consumer demand. - Political Shifts: The re-election of Donald Trump brought renewed concerns about potential changes to trade policies, including the possibility of protectionist measures and tariffs on imports. - Shipping Alliances: Major shifts in global shipping alliances reshaped container shipping routes with new challenges to the flow of goods. U-Freight Group milestones in 2024 2024 was also a year of growth and success for the U-Freight Group: - We signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Shanghai Hongyu Supply Chain Management Co (HYSC) designed to capitalise on the latter’s extensive expertise in China’s medical and healthcare sector, and our strength in international freight forwarding and logistics. - We established a dedicated China Business Development Team to enhance the efficiency and convenience of communication with our various stations throughout China. - Delegates from our owned offices and exclusive agents gathered in Lisbon to discuss various developments including the company’s emergence and ongoing development as a leading player in global e-commerce logistics. - e+Solutions (ePlus), through which we offer some eCommerce logistics solutions, collaborated with Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) in the production of a new corporate video, which aims to highlight Hong Kong’s unique advantages as a global logistics centre and attract more companies to utilise its infrastructure for eCommerce operations. - We used the Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference to showcase the services offered by our e+Solutions (ePlus) brand. As we look forward to 2025, we are well-positioned to face new challenges and support our clients with expert insights, seamless operations, and innovative logistics solutions. Thank you for your continued trust and partnership throughout 2024. Wishing you a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. #oceanfreight #shipping #containershipping #airfreight #trade #aircargo #logistics #haulage

U-Freight's e-commerce logistics operations recently featured in the weekly edition of leading magazine Air Cargo Week. In the article, U-Freight America CEO, Rick Keller, discusses how the company has been gearing up to meet the logistics needs of businesses involved in e-commerce. The article can be read on page 10 of the supplement here: https://lnkd.in/d43_4jWF For more information about the U-Freight Group's global air freight forwarding and logistics services, or our e-commerce logistics operations, please visit the relevant pages of this website or contact your local office, details of which can be seen here: https://lnkd.in/diTiefZh

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Welcome to our weekly round up of news in freight & logistics. One in three UK shoppers will return their Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchases this year, says YouGov. So much for deals — sounds more like a boomerang economy! Sounds like we are set for a busy time for shoppers sending bargains back, with all the ramifications that might have for companies like ourselves that are involved in ecommerce logistics, including reverse logistics. 38% admit they buy clothes, wear them, then return them. Retailers must decide if they’re refunding a dress and someone’s party memories. https://lnkd.in/eUSWyni8 In the road freight arena, the Loadstar reported that Europe’s road freight industry has a 500,000-driver-sized hole. That’s 12% of jobs unfilled. Guess people prefer fewer potholes and more Netflix. Operators are desperate. 70% are struggling to fill roles, and it might get worse next year. https://lnkd.in/e5ebvm_9 Meanwhile, in the UK the RHA is reminding operators there’s less than a month left to join the Truck Cartel Claim. No cost to join, but if you’ve bought or leased a truck over 6 tonnes between 1997 and 2014 or 2015, you could get a payout. Deadline’s 31 December. Any company that thinks they may be eligible who have not yet registered their interest, should visit the dedicated website in the link below. For questions and queries please contact the RHA directly at the links below. https://lnkd.in/gtfuNCD [email protected] https://lnkd.in/ez9ucegv In airfreight, Hong Kong Airport’s cargo volumes are up 12.7% year-on-year for the month of October and it is gearing up for its three-runway system! Announced in 2015, and open since July 2022, but next month it’ll finally run on all three. https://lnkd.in/e6YD4QHR Lastly, oceanfreight! 2024 was supposed to be the year container shipping lines crashed back to Earth after pandemic profits. Instead, disruptions have kept freight rates afloat. Drewry’s Simon Heaney joked that black swan events are so common, we might need a new name for them. https://lnkd.in/eQmKrrp5 In 2025, EU Emissions Trading System surcharges are expected to double. CLECAT thinks carriers are charging more than they should — surprise, surprise. https://lnkd.in/eRhviBrD Details about our freight and logistics services can be seen at www.ufreight.com #oceanfreight #shipping #containershipping #airfreight #trade #aircargo #logistics #haulage

Welcome to our weekly round up of news in freight & logistics. Xeneta says that Donald Trump's victory is expected to result in an increase in ‘strategic inventories’, goods stored by Chinese manufacturers in different locations in an attempt hide the origin of the products, thereby avoiding import duties. Trade between China and Mexico is booming, and many think a lot of those shipments are ultimately bound for the USA. https://lnkd.in/ebJGJjqb Comments about the container shipping business by industry analyst John McCown got lots of coverage last week. He said the shipping lines' total net income in the third quarter of 2024 soared to USD26.8 billion,a staggering 164% increase from the previous quarter. The articles spotlight how that impressive growth trend, which began in the first quarter of 2024, has been primarily fuelled by capacity tightening in the Red Sea region and strong global demand. This dramatic upswing follows a period of declining earnings that lasted for six consecutive quarters after the industry’s peak earnings of USD63.1 billion in the second quarter of 2022. https://lnkd.in/ecG2JxFE https://lnkd.in/eBbHXP58 https://lnkd.in/e3ws7vZX The Air Cargo News website has an interesting white paper that examines how supply chains have evolved over the past year in response to geopolitical events; casts an eye over the air cargo peak season, and takes a look at prospects for the air cargo market in 2025. https://lnkd.in/et4cQrHq Another article on the same website suggests that 2025 could see a lack of air cargo capacity as passenger aircraft additions ease, additional freighters remain in short supply and e-commerce demand remains strong. The article is based on comments made by Rotate chief executive Ryan Keyrouse, speaking at the recent Tiaca Air Cargo Forum. He also said if e-commerce demand growth out of Asia continues to rise at around 20% next year it could result in capacity being shifted to the region from other markets on top of ongoing capacity shortages. https://lnkd.in/et7-7cPy Details about our freight and logistics services can be seen at www.ufreight.com #oceanfreight #shipping #containershipping #airfreight #trade #aircargo #logistics

A look back on the last week in freight & logistics Welcome to our weekly round up of key news in freight & logistics. US port talks break down The big news this week, was that talks between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) broke down over the key issue of automation bringing the threat of a renewed strike at US East and Gulf Coast ports closer. At the time of filming this episode, no date had been set to resume talks. With less than two months to go to reach an agreement, everyone will be concerned about the possibility of another dock strike affecting international ocean freight operations at ports from Boston to Houston. https://lnkd.in/eSMY63B2 Ocean freight rate volatility Shipping analyst Drewry recently reported that 2025 is likely to mark the fifth consecutive year of high volatility in ocean freight rates, affecting both the contract rates and spot rates segments. Over the last two years, average contract and spot rates on the major East-West routes decreased by about 60% in 2023 and are expected to rise by about 20% year-on-year in 2024. Drewry anticipates that while anticipated US port strikes in Q1 2025 will make US-bound contract rates rise in 2025, spot rates on East-West routes will decline in the second half of 2025. Since 2021, the shipping industry has experienced unprecedented volatility in contract rates, fuelled by the COVID-19 crisis and its aftermath. The standard deviations of average contract rates have increased more than tenfold since early 2021, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the market. While contract rates were quite stable in 2024, capacity shortages on selected routes resulted in shipping customers having to accept substantial Red Sea and Peak Season surcharges. Peak season events boost freight demand We're well into the peak season for freight movement and last week saw the first of three major busy periods in which retail demand is expected to spike over the festive period; as well shipments. Single's Day, an unofficial holiday which began in China and is marked by many retailers with online shopping discounts, fell on 11 November this year. Next up will be Black Friday at the end of the month and Cyber Monday in early December, followed by the usual pre-Christmas shopping season. All will result in spikes in demand for the services provided freight forwarders like ourselves. Details about our freight and logistics services can be seen at www.ufreight.com #oceanfreight #shipping #containershipping #airfreight #trade #aircargo #logistics

Uncertainty on the horizon following Trump win Well there has been no shortage of speculative comment about the possible impact on international freight and logistics following Donald Trump's win in the US presidential election. Much of that speculation centres on the increased tariffs on imported goods that the President-elect stated would be on the cards should he get re-elected. If that occurs, the likely losers will be?those involved in moving cargo into and out of the USA via air and ocean freight, although it must be pointed out that if Trump's re-election delivers the strong US economic growth that his campaign promised, this will act as a growth and demand driver for freight movement. In anticipation of those tariffs, we can expect to see importers hedge their bets and import goods which are not time sensitive early in order to avoid as much tariff as possible. Some importers have even been doing that already over the past couple of months in anticipation of a potential Trump victory. Such a surge in demand will likely lead to increases in spot rates on US import trades in the coming weeks and months. https://lnkd.in/ecVWGyX8 Schedule reliability falls as container ship orders boom Sea-Intelligence reported that container line schedule reliability decreased by 1.2 percentage points month-on-month to 51.4 per cent in September, based on data from 34 trade channels and over 60 shipping lines. The data showed that the average delay for late vessel arrivals rose by 0.21 days each month to 5.67 days. Maritime data intelligence company, VesselsValue reported that orders for new containerships are up by 52% year-on-year with 254 new orders placed in 2024, compared to 167 in the corresponding period of 2023. It added that with 362 new container ships entering the market already this year a further 169 due to be delivered in the last few months of the year, 2024 looks set to be a record-breaking year. It added that just 48 container vessels have been sent for demolition in 2024 to date, a fall of around 45% year-on-year. https://lnkd.in/efPzF8Zh Ongoing growth in air cargo IATA reported that global air cargo markets experienced a significant 9.4% growth in demand for September 2024 compared to the same month in 2023. This marks the 14th consecutive month of growth, with international operations seeing a 10.5% increase. Capacity rose by 6.4% year-on-year, with international bellyhold capacity increasing by 10.3%. This extension of double-digit annual capacity growth has now continued for 41 consecutive months. https://lnkd.in/efvpz_jj Details about our freight & logistics services can be seen at www.ufreight.com #oceanfreight #shipping #containershipping #airfreight #trade #aircargo #logistics

Challenging times across all modes It was another busy week for news affecting the international freight and logistics industry and the coming week will be dominated by the US election and the prospect of Donald Trump winning ought to put the container shipping industry on alert says Drewry Shipping Consultants. It described a potential second term for Trump as a “destructive risk to the container market”, in light of his love of the word tariff, stated intention to introduce a new round, while those he introduced in 2018 continue to have an effect. https://lnkd.in/e9fXWpTH Meanwhile, viewers that ship containers through US East and Gulf Coast ports will be relieved by the news that the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) are resuming Master Contract discussions this month, “to discuss all outstanding issues to reach a new agreement.” This comes on the heels of the parties agreeing to an extension of the current Master Contract until January 15, 2025, which they said is contingent on bargaining on all open issues. Readers will be hoping both sides come to terms for a new Master Contract Proposal that can be approved, and ratified. https://lnkd.in/eHmeA9u4 Many businesses are planning for their spring merchandise to arrive early in case no agreement is reached before the 15 January 2025 deadline, with all the consequences that might bring, by moving product much earlier than in previous years. The GCaptain website carried a Reuters report that U.S. shippers are steering clear of East and Gulf Coast ports such is the worry about another potential strike in January, and moving cargo via West Coast ports instead. https://lnkd.in/ecYhauT7 At this time last year many container shipping analysts were talking in apocalyptic terms about the market, and this year a similar narrative is emerging. That's the verdict of an article on the Seatrade Maritime News website. The author writes that as with last year, market fundamentals point to a major collapse in freight rates as the equilibrium in the supply and demand equation is tilted firmly in favour of shippers, if one takes just a superficial glance at the figures. However it adds that the forecasts of doom do come with the proviso that no unexpected and calamitous event disrupts the market again. The full article, which is well worth reading, can be seen in the panel below. https://lnkd.in/ecpYGNq2 Details about our freight & logistics services can be seen at www.ufreight.com #oceanfreight #shipping #containershipping #airfreight #trade #aircargo #logistics

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