The new year has seen multiple ocean carriers announce new surcharges, from ‘Labor Interruption Surcharges’ through to ‘Emergency Operational Surcharges’ and more, all due to commence mid-January on the North Europe to US trade lane. These are all due to activate at the same time...
The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) has notified Qube Ports of further protected industrial action for participating members at the Port of Brisbane in response to stalled negotiations amid the expiration of the last employment agreement. The industrial action will involve a total of 168 consecutive...
According to the 2023–24 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Container Stevedoring Monitoring Report, global and domestic disruptions have destabilised the container freight supply chain, causing congestion, delays, and soaring costs, which has resulted in some importers having to pay four to 11 times as...
According to the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index, spot freight rates between Shanghai and Melbourne dipped to their lowest level since mid-August in the first week of December, reaching 3700FEU. Given the subdued state of the Australian retail economy this decline was anticipated sooner, however rates were...
The premier of Western Australia has announced a $273 million investment that will advance the Westport project into its planning phase, marking a major milestone for its development. This announcement coincides with the release of the Westport Business Case Summary, which recommends relocating container trade to...
Australia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have finalised the highly anticipated Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), representing a significant milestone in the strengthening of the trade relationship. This agreement provides Australian farmers, producers, manufacturers, service providers, exporters, and workers with unprecedented access and preferential treatment...
A more detailed examination of the Australia-China rates shows a slight recovery in spot rates in the third week of October, after several weeks of (mostly) falls. The Shanghai Containerised Freight Index increased slightly to USD 4052/FEU, up from USD 3932/FEU in the week prior, and...
The Victorian Government’s $964 million road maintenance blitz kicks off this month, with major repairs to commence on one of the state’s most important freight connections: the Sunraysia Highway in Lascelles. This path links grain and produce farms from around the region to key domestic...
Australia and Canada have announced an expansion of their international air transport agreement which will see unlimited cargo flights between the two nations between all access points and enhance the operational flexibility for each country’s airlines. This is a significant expansion of the agreement and it...
The re-entry of Australian wine into mainland China has helped exports grow by 34% in value, reaching AU$2.39 billion in the 12 months to September 2024. Volume exports were also up by 7%, amounting to 643 million litres over the same period. This represents the highest...