Chinese airlines are actively expanding their freight direct sales business to boost revenue. While this model has little impact on freight forwarding companies, small forwarders face survival pressure and need to seek collaboration opportunities with larger freight forwarders.
Hapag-Lloyd has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with ONE to enhance its feeder services and expand routes in Asia and Europe. This collaboration is expected to intensify competition in the regional market, attracting more shipping companies to participate. The shipping industry will face greater challenges in the future.
Sichuan Airlines has launched two new routes connecting Xi'an with Bangkok and Phuket, expanding its international routes to a total of six. These flights will be scheduled regularly each week, enhancing tourism and business exchanges and supporting regional economic development.
China's automobile exports are facing transportation difficulties with Japanese and Korean shipping companies. The inability to secure suitable roll-on/roll-off ships has placed Chinese companies at a disadvantage in shipping costs, leading to a decrease in competitiveness. Various parties are adopting intermediary methods and CKD/SKD export strategies to cope with the issue, but the problems have not been fundamentally alleviated. It is expected that transportation conditions will gradually improve over the next few years.
Chinese cargo owners have united to protest against Maersk over disputes regarding sealing fees, marking a significant shift in foreign trade companies' response to unreasonable charges. Three major associations in Xiamen have strongly condemned Maersk's actions, urging for the protection of cargo owner rights and greater industry transparency. This issue transcends mere fee disputes, as it holds profound implications for the future development of the maritime shipping industry.
Norwegian shipping company Golden Ocean Group expects that the dry bulk shipping market can absorb 10% of new vessel capacity due to port congestion and demand for coastal trade in China. Although the number of new ship deliveries needs to be reduced by 40% to maintain high charter rates, the market still shows resilience and potential for growth.
Recently, customs reports indicate a significant increase in non-compliance issues related to wood packaging in our country. Packaging that lacks the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) mark or is found to contain live harmful organisms may lead to goods being rejected and incurring high costs. Companies must strictly adhere to wood packaging quarantine standards to avoid economic losses.
Ping An Property & Casualty Insurance has signed a cooperation agreement with the Standard P&I Club to launch a comprehensive package for ocean-going vessel insurance, enhancing shipping security capabilities. This strategic partnership aims to provide the shipping industry with comprehensive risk protection by enriching product offerings and improving service quality.
The U.S. has strengthened the customs clearance review for FBA shipments under the 321 Act. Certain packages that meet specific criteria will no longer qualify for the $800 tax exemption, posing a risk of being returned. Merchants need to prepay duties in advance and understand the new customs requirements to ensure smooth entry of their goods.
The General Administration of Customs' Global Trade Monitoring and Analysis Center has signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Ningbo Shipping Exchange to engage in in-depth collaboration in global trade research and index construction. This partnership aims to leverage big data analysis to enhance the responsiveness of trade markets and support the development of both domestic and international trade.
