Porti & ambiente — le notizie raccolte

Gemini Cooperation partners Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd hit their 90% on-time schedule reliability target across all trades in April/May. Across the main deepsea trades, the carrier groupings all mostly saw similar reliability: Gemini the most on-time; followed by standalone liner MSC; and then the Ocean and finally Premier alliances. According to new data from Sea-Intelligence Consulting, the Gemini Cooperation recorded 91.4% schedule reliability in trade arrivals during April/May, on a like-for-like comparison with the same period in the previous year, when it was still rolling out its new network. MSC’s standalone network saw schedule reliability of 79.7%, while the Ocean and Premier alliance were third and fourth, with schedule reliability levels of 69.7% and 54%, respectively. Gemini’s standout service was its Asia-Northern Europe Loop 3 – the AE3 at Maersk and NE3 at Hapag-Lloyd – which hit a 100% reliability across 15 arrivals during the period. It will be interesting to see, in the next couple of months, whether Gemini will be able to maintain the loop’s 100% reliability, as the service is undergoing considerable change as new direct port calls are inserted. Whereas the current AE3/NE3 port rotation features Gemini’s preponderance for transhipment hubs – which the partners had argued would allow them to achieve 90%-plus reliability – the new schedule will see two calls at Algeciras dropped and new North European calls added at Aarhus, Gothenburg, and Southampton. The number of ships deployed on the string will remain the same, at 13, according to Xeneta’s eeSea liner database. Meanwhile, Gemini’s schedule reliability across its four Asia-North Europe strings dipped to 94.1%, caused by the Asia-Northern Europe Loop 1’s schedule reliability of 81%, while Loop 2 and Loop 4 achieved 93.6% and 98.1%, respectively. It was still well ahead of its rivals: MSC posted an Asia-North Europe reliability of 78.8%; Ocean Alliance hit 52.9%; and the Premier Alliance lagged at 39.1%. Average reliability across all Asia-North Europe services was 67.8%, while on the Asia-Mediterranean trade it was 67.1%, which Gemini again led, with schedule reliability of 95.2%, followed by MSC with 83.9%, and the Ocean and Premier alliances with 60.9% and 59.1%, respectively. On the transpacific liner reliability was even more impressive – Gemini recorded 97.1% on Asia-North America west coast services and 97.9% on Asia-US east coast trades. Into the west coast, MSC had a 76% on-time arrival rate, with Ocean Alliance at 65.6% and Premier Alliance at 57.1%, while into the east coast, Ocean took second place, with 70.2%, MSC 66.1%, and the Premier Alliance was at 54.4%. There were also a host of services that managed to hit 100% reliability, including the express EEX service operated by CMA CGM-owned APL, and three Gemini strings. The smallest of the east-west trades, the transatlantic – on which the Premier Alliance has no network, member lines slot-chartering on other services – saw MSC top the reliability rankings between the Mediterranean and the North America east coast, at 71.7%, followed by Gemini, with 70.6%; while on the North Europe-North America east coast route, Gemini resumed top spot, at 88.2%, with MSC at 76.8%, and the Ocean Alliance with 62.5%.

US logistics property giant Prologis has launched a £12.6bn takeover bid for Segro of a near-25% premium on the UK warehouse and industrial property specialist’s share price. However, Segro’s board has unanimously rejected the all-share bid, arguing it significantly undervalued the company and its growth prospects, particularly its expanding data centre portfolio. The move highlights continued overseas interest in UK-listed assets and could reignite speculation over further consolidation in the logistics real estate sector, reportsThe Guardian.

Significant growth in Vietnam’s tech sector is seeing logistics operators boost capacity in the country to take advantage of potentially high yields. Ceva Logistics has launched a three-times-weekly 777F Hanoi-Chicago service, citing growing demand from manufacturers in Vietnam’s technology and industrial sectors for a “dependable long-haul solution into the US”. Ceva provides pickup and cargo consolidation across multiple Vietnamese gateways, including Hanoi (HAN), Danang (DAD), and Ho Chi Minh City (SGN), supported by domestic operations teams coordinating multimodal flows, customs brokerage and transhipment activities. Sister airline CMA CGM Air Cargo reportedly recently launched a twice-weekly nonstop widebody freighter route connecting the French and Vietnamese capitals. The moves come amid mounting evidence that Vietnam is evolving into one of the world’s fastest-growing hubs for hi-tech manufacturing – and logistics providers are moving quickly to position themselves for the shift. For years, Vietnam was viewed primarily as a beneficiary of the “China-plus-one” strategy, attracting manufacturers seeking to diversify production from China. But growing investments suggest the country is moving beyond a role as a low-cost assembly base to becoming an increasingly important part of global tech supply chains. Taiwan’s Well Shin said yesterday it was shifting production of AI server power cords to Vietnam after securing cloud-related orders, and China’s Huawei has expanded partnerships in the country, spanning AI, energy and 5G infrastructure. According to Vietnam’s National Statistics Office, the country attracted $24.8bn in foreign investment commitments in the first five months of 2026, up 34.9% year on year, with around 65% of this directed towards manufacturing and processing. Among the largest projects announced this year are Samsung’s second facility in Thai Nguyen province, Posco Future M’s battery materials investment, and automaker BYD’s expansion of its electronics production. Vietnam is also seeing increased investment in digital infrastructure. Industry forecasts point to rapid growth in AI-ready data centres, cloud infrastructure, and edge computing facilities. Hyperscale facilities are expected to account for the largest share of this expansion, driven by cloud growth and AI-related computing demand. And the shift is increasingly visible in freight markets. According to consultancy Aevean, Vietnam’s AI-related air cargo exports increased 110% year on year in the first four months of 2026, while forwarders reported airfreight capacity out of both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City had tightened significantly, with exports to the US facing critical space constraints and elevated rates. According to Rotate, freighter capacity year to date into Vietnam from Europe has gone up 190%, and +50% from North America. Overall freighter capacity growth out of Vietnam has risen 32% over last year. Operators, including Atlas Air, UPS, China Cargo Airlines, Kalitta Air, Turkish Cargo, and AeroLogic have all added capacity– the strongest growth has been recorded on routes linking Vietnam with major manufacturing centres in South Korea, mainland China, and Hong Kong. That pattern suggests Vietnam is becoming more deeply integrated into regional technology production networks rather than simply replacing China as a manufacturing location. Ceva’s latest announcement reflects that. Alongside the Hanoi-Chicago launch, the company also renewed its Wuxi-Chicago freighter operation in China, arguing that both routes support customers seeking resilient transpacific supply chains. It’s not just air cargo: in April, Ceva parent CMA CGM announced the second phase of expansion at the Gemalink terminal in Cai Mep, southern Vietnam. The project will increase annual capacity from 1.7m teu to approximately 3m teu by 2027. The carrier said the terminal, which opened in 2021 and in which it holds a 25% stake alongside Gemadept, is already operating at full capacity. CMA CGM described the expansion as part of its long-term strategy in Vietnam, where it also operates extensive logistics services through Ceva. And Vietnam’s attraction is no longer based solely on labour costs. Increasingly, investment is flowing into electronics, battery materials, telecommunications equipment, digital infrastructure, and other higher-value sectors that generate demand for sophisticated logistics services.

Just less than a month away from the release of Q2 26 numbers on 22 July, and with a challenging second quarter for most forwarders about to close, we have all noticed that the DSV bull camp is growing stronger… (Click to expand the screen grab below and all others) … with regard to the upcoming trading update (and possible upside: the catalyst!) that the sagging forwarder – Dkr1,500/share on the stock market – may offer. At mid-point now between its 52-week ...

Taiwanese forwarder and ship manager TVL Marine is re-entering container shipping after a seven-year absence, launching a Hong Kong-Taiwan shuttle service this month. The company owns five 1,100 teu-1,800 teu ships, all chartered to South Korean liner operator KMTC Line when it ceased its previous shuttle service, between Taiwan and China’s Xiamen port, in 2019. The TVL group was founded in 1972, when Trans Van Links Express was incorporated in Taiwan, and ventured into ship owning and operations in the 1990s, after acquiring second-hand general cargo ships. But these were sold by the early 2000s and the group moved into air freight. The 1,100 teuTVL Keelung(previously known as theSunny Calla), is expected to be deployed on TVL’s new Hong Kong-Taiwan service. SeaSearcher shows the ship arrived in Hong Kong today, after being redelivered from KMTC. TVL group chairman Lee Chien-fa announced the re-entry into liner shipping during the opening of its Hong Kong office last month, saying the shipping centre and free trade port was ideal for the group to “deepen its Asia-Pacific network and implement sea-air multimodal transport”. The group is also considering joint-ventures with other shipping companies, added Mr Lee. “This is not only an important first step for the TVL group into the container shipping market, but also marks our transition from a traditional shipping agency, freight forwarder, and logistics group to operating its own fleet.” TVL’s team in Hong Kong will work closely with the Taipei HQ and the group’s agency network across more than 100 countries. The surge in container freight rates in recent years, fuelled by the Covid pandemic and then the Red Sea crisis and closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has periodically attracted new players to liner shipping, although some ceased operations after sustaining losses. Meanwhile, the intra-Asia trade TVL is entering has seen strong volume growth so far in 2026, with year-to-date shipments of 16.6m teu to the end of April, according to Container Trades Statistics, representing year-on-year growth of 10%, more than double average global container growth rates.

The going is about to get tougher for those importing goods into the US and their customs brokers as Washington prepares to tighten regulations and raise penalties. The US president’s executive orderStrengthening Customs Enforcementtasks the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to revise importer eligibility regulations, guidance, and policies, flanked by higher penalties for firms that fall foul of requirements. The DHS was given 180 days to complete the job. While importers face new restrictions and disclosure requirements, the order calls on customs brokers to “conduct greater due diligence of their importers”. What exactly this means is unclear at the moment – like many aspects of the drive for tighter regulations. “A lot of companies are looking for answers, and they don’t exist,” said William Jansen, director of customs brokerage services at Seko Logistics. This uncertainty is part of the reason why the move is greeted with apprehension in the industry – but some issues are already raising red flags. “We have some big concerns,” said Bob Imbriani, EVP international at forwarder Team Worldwide. Importers of record (IORs) will be required to make disclosures on aspects like business ownership and affiliations, foreign tax identifiers, sanctions certifications, product level and production data, anticipated volumes, and production methods. They also need visibility of their supply chains, because priority areas of enforcement for US Customs include forced labour, besides elements like transhipment, under-valuation, and misclassification of shipments. Mr Imbriani noted that forced labour was more likely upstream, from manufacturers that may have multiple suppliers. “Enforcement is very complex and takes a long time to determine,” he said. “There have been cases where shipments were stopped and held for weeks and months to investigate forced labour suspicions, which meant thousands of dollars in demurrage charges.” In one instance this resulted in a $70,000 demurrage bill, he recalled. In a move that clearly targets ecommerce, the new regime will abolish informal entry capabilities for foreign IORs. The Type 11 informal entry process allows imports valued at less than $2,500 to move through customs in a streamlined manner, and it has been leveraged by importers of low-value goods since the elimination of the de minimis exemption last year. “It will be a significant change,” reckons Mr Jansen. “A lot of the previous de minimis Type 86 volume has gone to Type 11 informal entries.” Without the Type 11 informal entry channel, a continuous bond is required, which allows more time for Customs to inspect a shipment, possibly resulting in slower clearances, he pointed out. In addition, foreign IORs will likely have to brace for more restrictive rules and definitions to emerge from the DHS’s revision of the regulatory framework for customs clearance, under the executive order. Typically an IOR is required to have a physical presence in the US and a “minimum level of tangible domestic assets”, or a bond. “We have a lot of business with foreign IORs that are based in Australia. They don’t have significant assets in the US. Are they going to be considered a shell company?” Mr Jansen wondered. The DHS is expected to provide guidance on the term “located in the US” – one of many clarifications importers and brokers are waiting for. While much about the new regime is shrouded in mystery, it appears that small and mid-sized importers will be disproportionately affected, as they may not be able to cope with the cost of compliance and the potential charges for violations, due to see a drastic increase. The executive order from the White House directs the DHS and Customs to establish a 50% minimum floor for penalties, which will take away the latter agency’s current discretion to reduce penalties. The potential repercussions are frightening, it has been said. “I think this could have a huge impact. My number-one concern is whether liquidated damages is the same as a penalty? Liquidated damages happen quite often. It could be a mistake, a clerical error. If duty on a shipment is paid a day late, and that duty is $200, that duty is looked at as a breach of a bond, and a bond could be $100,000. So, is it a $50,000 penalty, minimum?” asked Mr Jansen. Another concern for him is what this does with prior disclosures. If a company detects an under-payment in its supply chain, current legislation is quite lenient, to allow them to self-report the matter; but the new penalty threshold may deter companies from doing so, he said. “They want to penalise bad actors quicker and more intensely,” he added. “A lot of it is aimed at bad actors, but we don’t know who will be collateral damage.”

Five months after taking over Bangladesh’s underused Pangaon Inland Container Terminal, MSC’s Medlog has attracted a growing roster of exporters and importers. It did it by offering significantly lower transport costs and avoiding chronic congestion on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. Pangaon has long operated well below capacity despite its strategic location close to Dhaka, the country’s main manufacturing and consumption hub. If Medlog can sustain the current growth, the terminal could become an important alternative gateway for Bangladesh’s trade flows, reducing pressure on roads linking the capital with Chittagong port. According to Medlog Bangladesh MD ATM Anisul Millat, in just five months, the company has handled box volumes equivalent to what was processed in an entire year under earlier operators. “Some renowned buyers and mainline operators are working with us,” Mr Millat toldThe Loadstar. Medlog, which secured a 22-year lease on the facility in February, has focused on providing end-to-end logistics services, collecting containers from factories, transporting them to the terminal and moving them by barge to and from Chittagong port. The strategy is proving attractive because inland waterway transport offers substantial cost savings on trucking. For imports, Medlog charges $327 to move a 20ft container from Chittagong to Dhaka by water, compared with around $440 by road. A 40ft box costs $560 against $670. Export shipments see even greater savings: $170 for a laden 20ft export container and $280 for a 40ft, from Dhaka to Chittagong, compared with approximately $440 and $570 respectively by road. Medlog says it began handling export containers in April, the first time this has been moved through the terminal. The company expects annual throughput to double that of previous years and is investing in additional facilities to support further growth. Historically, around 70% of Pangaon’s throughput has been import containers. To rebalance volumes, Medlog has renovated the terminal’s container freight station and is developing a cotton warehouse, cold storage facilities, and infrastructure for handling refrigerated cargo – “We want to increase export cargo handling,” said Mr Millat. The service is already attracting new users. Moin Uddin, a director of a Sheltech Group concern, said his company uses the terminal for shipments to Europe because of its proximity to Dhaka and the quality of service. “Pangaon terminal is operated by a private company and we get quick service but pay less,” he said. “Until now the number of users at the terminal is low, compared with its capacity, so we get quality services there.” Industry groups are also watching developments closely. Inamul Haq Khan, SVP of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said many exporters could be persuaded to use the terminal if service levels remained high. With Bangladesh’s trade volumes continuing to grow and road bottlenecks becoming increasingly problematic, Medlog’s success at Pangaon could provide a template for shifting more container traffic on to the country’s inland waterways.

Continuing yesterday’s story on the implications for returns processes post-de minimis, today’s post considers how retailers and their supply chain partners can ensure they are best prepared for the EU changes. Data quality, exposure, and supply chain partners will determine the success or failure of EU retailers operating in the post-de minimis trading environment, according to Al Gerrie, CEO of returns and post-purchase network ZigZag. From 1 July, the EU will terminate its de minimis exemption for low-value imports, meaning parcels valued at under €150 will be subject to a flat customs duty of €3, with a handling fee, expected to be €2, taking effect in September. A “fragmented B2C parcel clearance model” has been central to the explosion in ecommerce into Europe and North America, all made possible by de minimis exemptions allowing these goods to move duty-free, but the playing field is being restructured. Recognising the anxiety this may be creating for retailers, Mr Gerrie toldThe Loadstarthey needed to “start with the numbers” and only consider changing their supply chains once they have “properly modelled their exposure”. He explained: “That means looking at EU order volumes, average item value, return rates, number of items per parcel, tariff codes, country of origin, and the value of goods coming back. Without that, they are guessing. “The next priority is data quality. Poor customs data will become much more expensive, so retailers need accurate product descriptions, HS codes, country of origin, item-level values, and clear links between the original sale and the returned item.” Central to all of this, Mr Gerrie said, was for retailers to consider the partners supporting their operations – not least those involved in post-purchase solutions, and their carriers, customs brokers, warehouses, 3PLs, and returns platforms. Mr Gerrie said that without joined-up partners, the retailer’s supply chain would be left with gaps that would not only leave them blind, but would cost them money. “The best retailers will want a single view of the order and return journey. They will want to know what was sold, declared, and what duty was paid; what was returned, where it went, and what happened to it. That is the level of control needed to protect margin,” he said. Forwarders had become cognisant of this, he added, and having seen the opportunity for margin gains coming out of the US as a consequence of its scrapping of de minimis, had been looking to offer “complete solutions” to meet the needs of retailers. One forwarder toldThe Loadstar: “The end of de minimis has moved us from the fragmented B2C model towards something better described as a consolidated B2B2C import structures, leading to retail flows being centralised. “Goods are imported in bulk under B2B processes and then distributed domestically to end customers. This reduces administrative effort, improves customs consistency, and helps avoid additional handling charges increasingly associated with direct-to-consumer shipments.” As far as sales go, while forwarders believe the changes will boost their margins, they are less certain whether terminating de minimis exemptions will prove a good or bad thing for them in the long run. One toldThe Loadstarthey expected a sizeable volume drop-off, with neither consumers nor retailers willing to shoulder a €3 duty only refundable if the product had been delivered in faulty condition. Others, however, see it more simply: “Any disruption to supply chains creates opportunities for forwarders, as we are the experts best suited to ensuring goods get to market. I don’t think it will hit demand too much, maybe change the shape.”