FIATA AFFAIRS
COVID-19 Cancels 2020 FIATA HQ Session
FIATA members have been advised that the 2020 FIATA Headquarters Sessions intended to be held in Zurich for March 24-28 had been cancelled with no plans for rescheduling.
This decision was being taken because of the recent impact of the COVID-19 contagion in Italy, and now in Switzerland. FIATA is mindful as to its duty of care to its membership and has taken this action due to uncertainty, as governments attempt to contain the continued spread of the COVID-19 in Switzerland and Europe.
FIATA is still scheduled to hold its major event the 2020 FIATA World Congress this autumn in Busan, Korea October 19-24. Details of the FIATA World Congress can be viewed here - http://fiata2020.com/2020/english/main/index_en.asp
FIATA's Air Freight Chairman participates in the Air Cargo India 2020
Participating on a panel which discussed "Building airports of the future for Special Cargo Commodities", Mr. Keshav Tanna represented FIATA alongside representatives from Boeing, Air India Cargo and many others.
With more than 70 exhibitors spanning and engagement of more than 2000 people from the air cargo community along with panel discussions covering all the major topics encircling the air freight industry, the Air Cargo India 2020 show was announced as a success.
For more details please visit - https://www.stattimes.com/news/air-cargo-india-2020-on-building-resilience/
WORLD ECONOMY
Logistics firms must start preparing for post-Brexit customs changes
Freight forwarders and hauliers now have enough clarity to start preparing for a post-Brexit business landscape and should begin implementing the systems they will need from the end of December, according Peter MacSwiney, chairman of UK customs clearance solutions provider Agency Sector Management (ASM).
He stressed that there was "limited time to implement the systems needed to tackle trade friction" following the UK government's announcement this week that import controls would be brought in on European Union (EU) goods at the border from 1 January.
The British International Freight Association has published documentation to help aide freight forwarding members in the transition as the U.K prepares to handle clearance of goods coming from European Union.
For more details, please visit: https://www.lloydsloadinglist.com/freight-directory/adviceandinsight/Logistics-firms-must-start-preparing-for-post-Brexit-customs-changes/76000.htm#.XmDKFD9KiUm
The coronavirus and freight forwarding
Any reduction in goods handled and shipped could have a significant impact on customer revenue. There is also the risk that key customers will lean on forwarders to provide, without a contractual obligation to do so, more expensive "workarounds", such as airfreight and using non-core ocean service providers to perform voyages.
In general, apart from office closures in China, many companies have implemented restricted travel regimes. As a result, expected business travel related to securing transactions or continuing servicing relationships are likely to be disrupted. Inevitably, remote conferencing technologies provide a measure of continuity. It will be important to maintain clear and open communications.
For more details, please visit: https://www.ttclub.com/resources/coronavirus-guidance/
Indian regulations threaten to curb carrier freight pricing control
Terminal handling charges (THC) that a shipper or merchant pays while sending goods in and out of the port has become the latest target for government scrutiny, leaving a sense of concern for ocean carriers already reeling from the combined effects of weakening demand and falling freight rates.
The larger part of controversy surrounding THC collected by carriers along with ocean freight charges arguably arises because of varied rates from terminal to terminal even within a port itself, and the local freight community – spearheaded by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) – has been pushing the government to create a more transparent, standardised pricing environment.
For more details, please visit: https://dredgingandports.com/news/2020/indian-regulations-threaten-to-curb-carrier-freight-pricing-control/
Retailers now believe sea-air the best way to get their goods out of China
Major retailers awaiting their spring-summer stock are planning to opt for sea-air to get their goods out of China. The garment industry wants its new season launches into shops before Easter, in eight weeks' time, but "some 70% to 80% of Chinese factories are still not back up to speed," said Grant Liddell, business development director for Metro Shipping
"Lots of importers don't want to pay for the expected air freight spike in one or two weeks' time. It is likely to be $4-$5 per kg, up from about $2 per kg. That makes sea-air a very attractive option, as it would come in at about the $2.80/kg mark.
For more details, please visit: https://theloadstar.com/retailers-now-believe-sea-air-the-best-way-to-get-their-goods-out-of-china/
Market exploration: roll on roll off and containerised freight screening
The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is scoping for an innovation competition exploring novel solutions to screen roll on roll off (RORO) cargo and containerised freight entering the UK.
International trade is a vital component of the UK's prosperity. More than 481 million tonnes of trade crosses the UK border, annually, in containerised traffic and roll on roll off ferry traffic (RORO). The U.K is looking for solutions that will detect and identify multiple types of illicit content and improve the burden on operators, whilst aiding the flow of commerce.
For more details, please visit: https://theloadstar.com/retailers-now-believe-sea-air-the-best-way-to-get-their-goods-out-of-china/
UNCTAD and TRACIT host Illicit Trade Forum – February 3-4th
Illicit trade significantly endangers achievement all of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It creates a triple threat to the financing of development: crowding out legitimate economic activity, depriving governments of revenues for investment in vital public services and increasing the costs of achieving the SDGs by eroding the progress already made.
To address these issues, UNCTAD, in collaboration with TRACIT, hosted the first Illicit Trade Forum. The two-day Forum set out the main reasons why actions to combat illicit trade must be prioritized and why intergovernmental leadership is necessary to coordinate resources, share expertise, establish guidelines and promote international cooperation among UN Member States.
For more details, please visit: https://www.tracit.org/illicit-trade-forum.html …read more