Porti & ambiente — le notizie raccolte

Forwarders appear less concerned than insurance firms at the present state of cargo coverage, amid warnings that the war in the Persian Gulf has exposed the frailties and fragmented make-up of policies concerning freight. In an op-ed forThe Loadstar, Breeze’s chief insurance officer Patrizia Kern-Ferretti urged a rethink in the way cargo is covered, suggesting it is far more exposed to conflict-related issues than vessels and equipment. But forwarders have pushed back, tellingThe Loadstarthey believe insurance firms and those offering coverage are pushing the idea of poor-quality cargo coverage so they can “milk” the situation in the Middle East. One forwarder said they believed “insurance and particularly cargo Insurance was a topic to be classified up there with politics and religion”, describing their “knee-jerk reaction” tonews that DP World was providing cargo insurance: that it was “a quick cash grab”. “I think that with the current global uncertainty, due to the issues that our industry is facing due to the Middle East crisis and conflict, that new cargo insurance offerings are yet another opportunity to milk it,” the forwarder said. “There are, and have been, a number of long-term reputable companies, like Lloyds of London, which have offered the very best marine insurance options in the market, and I believe the industry will tend to stay with those they trust.” Asked about suggestions the insurance market was fragmented, the forwarder acknowledged that a lot of providers had removed war-risk provisions from their standard coverage, but that they felt more comfortable using traditional insurers. Another forwarder toldThe Loadstarthe state of the market for cargo coverage “remained unchanged”, noting they “don’t see any problems” and that their policies continued to cover war, general damages, and more. ForwardersThe Loadstarspoke to acknowledged that part of their pushback on the issue concerned “a perpetual sense that cargo owners and their logistics partners have been exploited at every opportunity” in the face of every recent crisis. Throughout the crises in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz, forwarders and shippers have expressed anger at surcharges imposed on them, many tellingThe Loadstarthese extra costs brought no added protection. While there are those who have suggested the present insurance market does not serve cargo coverage well, with the crisis in the Persian Gulf exposing some structural gaps, they too are weighed down by scepticism, believing the market will not improve. One forwarder said that, with new products, the proof would be in the response to any claims lodged with the provider, “and to get an idea on this front, you first have to find someone who has bought into the product”. “And then, when the time has come to claim, find out if they have had a smooth, pain-free experience in being paid out, or subjected to hidden small print and not getting the full benefit of the ‘cover’ they have bought into,” they added.

(v. 'Inquinamento ambientale in area Asi a...' delle 09:19) Una falda acquifera "consapevolmente" inquinata da chi avrebbe scelto di risparmiare soldi, violando la legge e a scapito dell'ambiente. Un sottosuolo impregnato di arsenico, zinco, cadmio, nichel tutte sostanze "altamente pericolose e cancerogene". Un disastro ambientale compiuto con l'utilizzo di pozzi disperdenti non autorizzati, che drenavano gli scarichi della zona industriale di Molfetta (Bari) direttamente nella falda provocando un inquinamento che "non potrà mai essere eliminato ma solo arginato". È quanto emerso dall'inchiesta della Procura di Trani, denominata Ground water ovvero Acque sotterranee, che conta 72 indagati, di cui 44 persone fisiche e 28 giuridiche, tutti accusati a vario titolo di disastro ambientale colposo e scarico illecito di reflui industriali. Tra gli iscritti nel registro degli indagati ci sono anche dirigenti e funzionari del consorzio per l'Area di sviluppo industriale (Asi) di Bari, del settore Ambiente della Città metropolitana di Bari e del Comune di Molfetta oltre a numerosi titolari di imprese con sedi legali sia a Molfetta, sia in altre regioni italiane.Sotto sequestro sono finiti beni per un valore complessivo di 150 milioni di euro. Si tratta di 17 aziende, parti di altre 5 imprese e 11 pozzi disperdenti di cui 10 abusivi che avrebbero compromesso l'equilibrio ambientale. L'inchiesta è partita da un dato, ovvero "la presenza di molteplici impianti nella zona industriale di Molfetta", ha spiegato nel corso della conferenza stampa il capo della procura di Trani, Renato Nitti, e poi si è sviluppata sulla "qualità dello scarico che finiva direttamente nell'acqua di falda. Parliamo di un agglomerato industriale esteso per 230 ettari". Le indagini della Capitaneria di porto si sono avvalse di video-ispezioni e campionamenti di tipo biologico, chimico e ingegneristico. I risultati hanno mostrato "uno sforamento dei limiti di sostanze inquinanti fino a oltre diecimila volte rispetto alle concentrazioni soglia di contaminazione stabilite per legge - ha continuato Nitti - e riteniamo che tutta una serie di presidi che avrebbero dovuto essere messi in atto, in primo luogo dal Consorzio e dalle aziende, non siano stati messi in essere consapevolmente, determinando un risparmio di spesa e rendendo conveniente investire lì ma con un danno ambientale non sanabile. Chi avrebbe dovuto rilasciare le autorizzazioni, non è stato mai interpellato: parlo della Città metropolitana di Bari mentre venivano date autorizzazioni rilasciate dal Consorzio che consentivano di avvalersi delle rete e non allo scarico".La Procura ha richiesto, infatti, anche il commissariamento giudiziale del Consorzio e di Asi Spa, società partecipata dal Consorzio. Riproduzione riservata © Copyright ANSA Da non perdere Condividi

In ourlast columnwe talked about a strategic cyber threat positioning for future leverage. In this, we look at a different, very alarming issue suppliers, transporters, and operators are currently dealing with, and which commands losses in multi-millions, if not billions, of dollars, pounds, and euros: cyber-enabled cargo theft. When we think of cargo theft, we usually imagine masked men in the dark of night swooping in, pilfering trucks unnoticed, and vanishing. At the end of last year, the theft of around $400,000-worth of live lobsters in the US, bound for midwestern Costco stores, highlighted something new: the increased use of digital methods. With the help of spoof emails (nearly identical to the real company’s domain) the thieves impersonated the carrier, provided fake paperwork and even a fraudulent driver’s licence, turned off GPS tracking, and the lobsters were gone. A closer look tells us that, while lobsters make for a catchy headline and funny memes (“a lost claws”, “langostino bros”), cargo theft has silently skyrocketed over the past five years and developed into literally a global menace, commanding north of $750m in losses across North America last year, according to CargoNet. The full impact, which factors-in other costs, for recovery and operational disruption among other things, however, is estimated closer to $6bn to $7bn (ATRI). In Europe, we find a similar breakdown, where losses are around €450m annually in tracked losses, according to TAPA EMEA, while industry estimates, that go beyond strictly verified and reported cases, suggest the true scale is closer to €8bn a year. In Asia, where comprehensive figures are less standardised, numbers are estimated in a similar range: $2.4bn in recorded losses and $6bn-$10bn overall estimated, annually. The higher number is mainly a function of Asia encompassing a larger number of countries. The overall trend in every region points upwards. Cargo theft has also evolved into a more complex and technologically driven threat, marking its entry into the cyber era. It is estimated that about a third of all cargo theft is now cyber-enabled. The main driver of this structural shift has been the now ubiquitous IT/OT convergence (physical processes are controlled by IT), and reliance on cloud-based transport management systems and electronic documentation in the logistics world. The rise of online freight marketplaces has also made it easy to pose as trusted carriers without solid authentication protocols. Paired with often poor cyber security (like passwords being reused, recycled, shared widely, and no multi-factor authentication), and a general lack of threat awareness in the sector, and you have a recipe for disaster – or at least very costly losses. Anatomy of a crime Our lobster example illustrates a very simple “fictitious pick up” scenario. The other, far more prolific, type is more strategic and more closely resembles traditional cybercrime. The attack begins with the hallmark of any good cyber criminal heist – the trusty phishing email. And once the culprits have gained access, they can compromise a company’s systems via stolen credentials (or if more sophisticated, using remote access tools) and can do a number of things, from retrieving sensitive data to impersonating the carrier or changing shipment information data (book loads and dispatch fraudulent trucks, etc). For example a threat actor might compromise a broker load account, post a fake load, and bag the gains without ever bothering with the nuisance of handling the physical product. Among the prime targets for theft are easily resold items, like electronics, food, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods, very often of high-value. The gained access and systems compromise is often used to identify what cargo to capture in the first place by selectively targeting high-value loads with precise timing and routing information. The resulting losses are often shouldered by cargo owners, freight brokers, third-party logistics providers (3PLs), and trucking companies, often involving lengthy legal disputes over liability with insurance companies. While insurance often covers cargo theft for “goods in transit” or “motor truck cargo” – the terminology typically governing coverage for shipments – it might deny claims based on handover to non-legitimate carriers. What to do? Transportation has long been a high-volume, high-velocity business, with many players paying little to no attention to cyber protection of its IT systems, often practising poor cyber security hygiene. This makes them a ripe target for exploitation by highly organised criminal groups, which will only accelerate further in the coming years. The legal implications, losses, and other costs associated with this – including reputational ones – are far from negligible. Thankfully, there are several steps that can be taken to mitigate their risk. We will investigate these in our next column. Maschenka Kemmsies is a policy analyst who specialises in geopolitics, emerging technologies, and cyber security. Previous roles include senior threat communications manager for security vendor Trend Micro and deputy head of political affairs at the Embassy of Austria to the United States. Widely viewed as one of the foremost experts on ports, rail, and infrastructure in the US, Walter Kemmsies advises several major port authorities and is routinely asked to work on complex issues with various investment banks, private equity firms, and public regulatory agencies, Dr Kemmseis was chief port strategist for JLL and chief economist for Moffatt & Nichol, while other previous roles include head of European strategy at JP Morgan in London, and head of global industry strategy at UBS in Zurich.

DSV has now confirmed TMS changes revealedbyThe Loadstarin February: the world’s largest freight forwarder is moving away from CargoWise toward Schenker’s in-house Tango and Star platforms as part of a broader AI and systems consolidation strategy. At DSV’s Capital Markets Day today, the company laid out a “count-to-one” technology strategy, built around reducing third-party software dependency and consolidating onto internally controlled systems. Most notably, DSV presented a target systems architecture slide showing its Air & Sea division transitioning from “2 TMSs” to “1 TMS”, with “CargoWise One → Tango” shown on the slide. For Road, DSV confirmed Star would become the division’s single transport management system, consolidating more than 25 systems into one. The presentation went considerably further than DSV’s carefully worded responses followingThe Loadstar’sFebruary exclusive, which reported that the company had already begun gradually shifting operations away from CargoWise. At the time, industry sources described a “phased migration strategy” rather than a “rip-and-replace” event, with DSV using APIs and modular integration layers to allow systems to coexist during transition. DSV disclosed that approximately 25% of Air & Sea volumes were already running on Tango, with the broader rollout beginning in 2027, after further upgrades this year. The company also tied the migration directly to future productivity gains, forecasting around Dkr6bn ($870m) in annual AI and technology-related improvements by 2030, specifically linked to “leveraging AI and migrating to Tango and Star”.The company said transitioning to Tango would deliver “substantial savings” and “significant cost improvement”. Perhaps most strikingly, DSV openly framed the shift as a move away from dependence on third-party enterprise software. In one of the clearest statements yet from a major global forwarder, the company said it was “moving from off-the-shelf to owned core systems”, adding that long-term ownership was “cheaper, faster, and more resilient than off-the-shelf solutions – and reducing dependencies on third-party providers”. That will inevitably be interpreted as a direct challenge to WiseTech Global’s long-standing dominance in forwarding software. Elsewhere in the presentation, DSV repeatedly stressed ‘simplification and consolidation’. “One process, one system, count to one,” the group said, outlining a strategy that has already seen more than 6,000 business applications and around 50 data centres closed since 2016. The broader strategy also appears increasingly aligned with what several industry technology executives suggested toThe Loadstarearlier this year: that DSV was building not simply a replacement TMS, but a consolidated enterprise data and AI platform underpinning all divisions. DSV also unveiled a new “Enterprise Data Platform” and “AI Factory”, designed to centralise operational data across Air & Sea, Road, and Contract Logistics, while enabling reusable AI services at enterprise scale. The company also confirmed that it intended to continue investing in Tango, “to enhance long-term productivity and savings”. For WiseTech, the implications could be significant. For years, CargoWise has been regarded as effectively irreplaceable at the top tier of global forwarding. But if DSV – historically one of CargoWise’s most important enterprise customers – ultimately migrates substantial volumes to internally owned systems, it may encourage other large forwarders to reassess their long-term platform dependence – particularly as AI reshapes enterprise software economics. One technology executive toldThe Loadstartoday that it might not be just WiseTech that could face customer losses. “People are running for the exits from other systems too…it’s madness.”

The peak season for Asia-Europe shipments is expected early, with mainline operators reporting higher cargo volumes, resulting in higher freight rates. On Friday, the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index showed 4% week-on-week growth in the Shanghai-North Europe rate, to $2,584 per 40ft and a 2% rise in the Shanghai-Mediterranean rate, to $3,263 per 40ft. For the transpacific, the SCFI registered a 4% increase in the Shanghai-US West Coast rate, to $2,826 per 40ft and a 3% hike in the Shanghai-US East Coast rate, to $3,812 per 40ft. During the recent Taipei Shipowners’ Association’s meeting, Yang Ming chairman Chuck Tsai Feng-ming said the usual Q3 peak season – when Asian factories export consumer goods to the US and Europe for Christmas – had been brought forward. He explained that the US-Israel-Iran war had tied up 1.5% of shipping capacity in the Strait of Hormuz and the resulting hike in oil prices had made mainline operators raise freight rates this month to reflect higher costs and tight shipping supply and demand. Dr Tsai said: “We’re seeing bookings coming in for this month, and we see a recovery in cargo volumes. Therefore we believe that the container shipping market has entered the peak season ahead of schedule.” Linerlytica said Asia-North Europe cargo was being quoted at $2,800-$3,200 per 40ft for the final two weeks of the month, up from current levels of $2,400-$2,500, as they tested the market with a second round of rate hikes. The consultancy said: “Space availability is slightly lower in weeks 19 and 20 due mainly to blanked sailings by Ocean and Premier alliance partners. Gemini carriers Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are also signalling a more flexible blanked sailing strategy as they move away from the rigid arrangement in the past, where blanked sailings were limited to the Chinese New Year and Golden Week holiday windows.” Linerlytica said a similar situation was being seen on the transpacific, where spot Asia-US West Coast rates were quoted at $2,800 per 40ft, substantially higher than the full-year contract rates of less than $2,000. The consultancy added: “The low number of new ship deliveries in the past two months has kept the market severely short of ships as charter rates continue to edge upwards, and vessel space remains tight, with continued freight rate increases expected through the second half of May.” Linerlytica’s figures show that between April and June, only 16 newbuildings, for deployment to the Far East-North Europe, Far East-Mediterranean and transpacific lanes, will be delivered.

According to new analysis fromThe Economistthis week, global military spending hit $2.9trn in 2025, up 2.9% from the year before, adjusted for inflation – but this was far outstripped in Europe, where policymakers responded to US cajoling and defence investment soared. “European countries, excluding Russia and Ukraine, accounted for nearly half of these increases,”The Economistwrites. “Spending in the region jumped by 14.1% to $864bn. America moved in the opposite direction: its budget fell by 7.5% to $954bn, roughly back to its level in 2021. “Part of that shift reflects support for Ukraine. America approved no new supplemental budgets for the country in 2025, while European countries expanded theirs. “Yet Europe’s rearmament now extends well beyond the war: excluding Russia, Ukraine, and related military aid, European defence spending still rose by 13.4%.” This shift – easily discernible to those paying attention to international policy developments – acted as a catalyst forthe formal creation of the Torus Defence Supply Chaingrouping of GXO, Maersk, Accenture, and Amentum. The first discussions over combining their strengths came during a workshop, GXO CEO Patrick Kelleher toldThe Loadstarduring an interview at the company’s UK headquarters in London. The idea emerged, he said, during “some of the strategy work and discussions we had through the integration of Wincanton, which has been happening over the last five or six months, with CMA [Competition and Markets Authority] approvals”. “It was the teams coming together and debating ‘what’s the best go-to-market plan?’,” he added. With the addition of Accenture and US defence contractor Amentum, Mr Kelleher said, the four parties’ roles were relatively straightforward. he explained: “It’s GXO warehouses, Maersk’s transportation, Accenture is the technology partner, bringing enterprise technology, and Amentum is a significant amount of the on-the-ground execution.” Although GXO staff would operate the warehousing, “there are other aspects of operations that can be included – so if it’s a maintenance-repair operations solution, Momentum can bring the mechanics to the repair facilities”. He said the move was primarily focused on serving the UK defence industry, and the sales team were still developing its pipeline. In a later interview withThe Loadstar, he added that Torus revenues were “not reflected in GXO’s guidance for 2026, but the team is actively engaged in pursuits in the UK”. “I think, as you would appreciate, being in the UK the decision timeframe for those opportunities is much longer than a traditional 3PL timeline, and we will begin to see the fruits of that,” he said. In terms of services, he said, it was “very focused on finished goods distribution, MRO [maintenance, repair & overhauls] and returns. “As in equipment that’s not up to standard, or maybe you have a piece of equipment that goes down and you have a core that needs to be returned. It could be an electrical component that could be a computer box in a tank that needs to be returned and refurbished, and so we split it between the different parts of Torus,” he said. And he suggested it could also prove to be a model for other verticals. “Maersk isn’t a pure-play contract logistics operator, but is getting into a lot of things and has obvious strength. “I love the partnerships, the combined strengths… it’s something we’re very open to doing in other market verticals, because I think it protects and preserves the competitive advantage we enjoy as a pure-play contract logistics provider, while being able to align with best-in-industry to deliver end-to-end supply chain solutions, which I think is a great value for GXO,” he said.

After years of digital transformation, freight forwarding still runs on a “surprisingly manual operating model”, according to a report from Bremen-based logistics AI company Deep Current. It says logistics firms have invested in operational systems, automation tools, dashboards and AI pilots over the past decade, but core workflows still depend heavily on emails, spreadsheets, PDFs, and fragmented systems. Deep Current surveyed logistics companies across Europe and the Middle East and found 72% planned to invest in document automation over the next 12 to 18 months, yet only 29% had implemented digital tools across core operational workflows. The report also found 57% of companies had experienced shipment delays caused by document errors, while 61% still relied on emails and spreadsheets for operational communication. Some 47% cited legacy system integration as the biggest barrier to adoption. “Digital maturity in 2026 will depend less on owning technology and more on connecting it,” said Tamim Fannoush, founder and CEO of Deep Current. The report noted that most logistics companies still operated across unconnected systems including TMS, ERP, and WMS platforms, while much of the real operational work was done by email, PDF, spreadsheet and messaging threads. Employees therefore become the ‘integration layer’, manually interpreting and transferring information between systems. “What’s interesting is that the friction is no longer really at the visibility layer. Most operators can now ‘see’ problems. The breakdown is happening at execution, where teams still have to manually interpret, validate, and move information between fragmented systems,” it explained. This is a problem for AI adoption, as Deep Current explained that critical freight inputs, such as bills of lading, invoices, customs declarations, contracts, and operational emails, were often ignored by AI pilots because they were messy and unstructured. “AI is not limited by model capability anymore, rather it is limited by data readiness. If your documents and communication streams are not structured and connected, your AI will never move beyond surface-level automation,” said Mr Fannoush. The report also argued that many AI projects failed because they were treated as add-ons. A new dashboard may be introduced, but the operator still has to download documents, check fields, update systems, investigate discrepancies, and respond to customers manually. Instead, Deep Current notes, AI becomes useful when it is embedded into the workflow itself. Then, incoming emails are interpreted automatically, documents are validated in real time, discrepancies are flagged early, and system updates happen without repeated manual entry. For freight forwarders, the stakes are practical. A missing HS code, incorrect consignee detail, or invoice mismatch can delay an entire shipment. Embedded AI, the report argued, could shift document handling from reactive checking to continuous validation. The company also suggested that the industry’s long pursuit of visibility was no longer enough. Dashboards and control towers can show something has gone wrong, but they do not necessarily help teams decide what to do next. “Visibility tells you there is a problem, while decision intelligence tells you what to do about it. In 2026, the competitive edge comes from shortening the time between signal and action,” explained Mr Fannoush. “Digitally mature logistics companies” are likely to focus more on decision intelligence, predictive resilience, and governance. Deep Current explained that that meant using AI to prioritise exceptions, recommend actions, model scenarios, and identify risks across routes, suppliers, and tradelanes before disruption hit. The report also warned that automation needed clear ownership and boundaries. As AI begins to influence shipment routing, document validation, and customer communication, companies will need rules for when systems can act, when humans must intervene, and how decisions are audited. “Operational AI is not about replacing logistics professionals; it is about elevating them. Governance and skills will determine whether AI becomes a multiplier or a liability,” said Mr Fannoush.

(Editor’s note: Loadstar Premium covered the DSV Capital Markets Day live here and on DeskOne. The event finished at 16.30 CET today) Danish freight forwarder DSV has set new ambitious targets for its Schenker integration – on top of existing Dkr9bn synergies previously announced, it has disclosed ahead of Capital Markets Day (now live on DeskOne)… … that it is ramping up “for further productivity improvements”, spanning “AI and technology” and “network optimisation”. Notably, up to Dkr9bn ($1.4bn) of additional annual savings are ...