Trends to Watch
- [Regional Update – France] The labor actions affecting operations at the ports of Le Havre and Fos-sur-Mer have eased up and operations are running as usual, for the most part—though the situation may change unexpectedly.
- [Regional Update – NL, DE, UK] The Transatlantic air market remains stable, demand is low, capacity is plentiful, and operations out of the main hubs are normal—LHR, AMS, and FRA hubs are experiencing no disruptions.
- [Regional Update – Taiwan] Many Taiwanese businesses involved with the semiconductor, electronics, and industrial machinery sectors are considering expanding capabilities in the Philippines. The semiconductor industry in particular continues to grow as new AI developments put higher demands on chip manufacturing.
- [Regional Update – Mainland China] Ocean capacity is available and volumes are gradually increasing across the whole country, though some carriers are reporting shortages of 20 foot containers. The Air market is currently at normal levels, though as we are entering a traditional slack season expect market demand to drop slightly.
- [Regional Update – U.S.-Mexico Border] Please book shipments 5-7 days prior to CRD. If moving through Laredo, a 48 (but ideally 72) hour minimum advance notice is required in order to arrange border crossing materials and schedule a crossing time.
North America Vessel Dwell Times
This Week In News
Reduced risk, regionalization become supply chain priorities, economics expert says
Business columnist for the Financial Times and CNN economic analyst Rana Foroohar, speaking at a recent FreightWaves event, said that the focus on redesigning supply chains for resiliency rather than purely for efficiency is the way forward. She also offered a caution, that this process will necessarily be different in terms of speed and impact across industries, similar to the broader digital transformation in other sectors.
Automotive industry change will spark a whole new supply chain
The shift to electric powertrains and autonomous navigation systems is changing the dynamic of the auto industry and its supply chain. Take as an early example semiconductor manufacturers, who don’t prioritize automotive companies as much as the tech industry. This shift means that whereas they used to be the sole focus of a supplier, car manufacturers are now increasingly finding themselves up against established organizations in completely different industries.
Source from Flexport.com