Industry Update - October 2024

Welcome to our October industry update, we would like to start this month with a link to an interesting report on “dream destinations and mobility trends” published by BCG, The Network and The Stepstone Group, it is a positive read and good news for our Australian readers as in 2023 you were the top dream destination.

General:

USA: Earlier this month we experienced a 3-day US port strike and the impact of Hurricane Milton and interestingly it seems the hurricane caused more disruption than the port strike. This was mainly due to proactive planning by the supply chain operators. The US strike has been suspended while negotiations continue, currently the 15th January is the deadline for a resolution.

Source: Fallout from hurricanes a greater concern than strikes, say forwarders - The Loadstar

10 ports remain closed in Hurricane Milton’s aftermath - FreightWaves

Red Sea: The end of October saw the return of the Houthis attack on container vessels and the end of an 18-day reprieve. The Houthis campaign has now spanned 11 months, and more than 120 vessels have been targeted causing considerable disruption to the global freight industry.

Source: Houthis renew campaign against merchant shipping - Splash247

Montreal: Industrial action at the port continues as another day of strike action at two terminals took place on the 31st October. As reported in the linked articles the longshoremen are ready to negotiate but all parties must be open to finding solutions.

Source: Further industrial action at Montreal pencilled in for Thursday - Splash247

Port of Montreal workers at two terminals start new strike, employer group says | Reuters

Strike action is also threatened on the west coast - Canada faces port strikes on east and west coasts - Splash247

Sustainability in shipping: Shipowners come under pressure to reveal their carbon footprint - Splash247 & Electric vehicles to take centre stage at Geneva Dry 2025 - Splash247

News from our Voerman and affiliated company locations:

Czechia – Earlier this week, Czechia became one of the first European countries to benefit from Apple’s Tap to Pay service, initially rolled out in 2022 but only recently introduced in Europe. This technology enables cashless transactions without a traditional payment terminal, empowering small businesses and consumers alike. The adoption of Tap to Pay reinforces Prague’s reputation as an innovative hub, and our team at Eurohome Prague is ready to support you and your clients in making the most of this vibrant, forward-looking city.

Source: Cashless payments in Czechia to see breakthrough after new Apple feature - Prague, Czech Republic

Africa – our colleagues from Africa Mobility Services have shared the following:

• Firstly, we would like to send our congratulations to Charnel Francis , our Chief Business Development Officer, in recognition of her vision and dedication she has been honored with the prestigious IAM Excellence in Leadership Award. This is a testament to her professionalism and drive for excellence. It is also a significant milestone for our industry as Charnel is also the first woman to receive this distinguished award.
• The Lobito Corridor railway project supported by the White House which aims to connect Angola’s Port of Lobito to Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo is not just of interest because of the investment opportunities for Africa and the benefits it will bring to infrastructure but as you will see from our location map below, we are operational in these locations so will also see benefits for our service delivery.

Source article: White House bets on Lobito Corridor in China battle | Semafor

• ICTSI Fights Maersk after Court Delays Deal for Durban’s Container Terminal – the action and subsequent delays is another blow for South Africa which decided to pursue the privatization of terminal operations after a history of operational challenges. Durban is considered to be one of the least efficient ports and has ranked at the bottom of reports such as the World Bank’s annual index. The port has experienced operational challenges and backlogs which Transnet have attributed to lack of investment in port operations.

Source article: Court Halts South African Port Deal Amid Maersk Challenge - Ships & Ports

Asia – our colleagues from Asian Mobility Services have shared the following:

• China / Early bird visa appointment in German visa center in Shanghai

As of October 16, 2024, the German Visa Center in Shanghai now offers "Early Bird" appointments for applicants planning their trips six months in advance. Please keep in mind that applicants added to the waitlist under this Early Bird option will only receive appointment dates that are at least six months out. This policy currently only applies to Shanghai, China.

• Thailand / Suspend filling of TM6 immigration form

The TM6 form is the arrival/departure card, which foreigners are required to fill out with their passport information and other personal and travel information when entering or leaving Thailand. On October 15th, 2024, Thailand approves the extended suspension of TM6 form to April 30th, 2025 in order to ease immigration procedures and alleviate congestion at customs.

• Singapore / Passport-less immigration clearance

Passport-Less Immigration Clearance has been fully implemented at Changi Airport from the end of September 2024. Travelers could clear the immigration without presenting a passport and average clearance time per traveler has been significantly reduced to 10 seconds.

Our commitment: Our global move management teams are here to support our clients and to provide excellent services, to achieve this we continue to:

• Listen to our clients and communicate proactively
• Manage expectations and offer flexible “out of the box thinking” solutions
• Monitor potential cost increases such as freight, port charges etc
• Reviewing global challenges which could impact service levels

Your commitment: We continue to ask our clients and partners to support us by providing us with new initiations as early as possible. This will allow us to understand and meet the needs of the transferee and their requirements, also to set realistic expectations at the beginning of the relocation journey. Our account managers and customer services contact are available at all our locations (noted below):

We will continue to keep you updated, please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Pauline Collins – Supply Chain Manager