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A growing gap between executive enthusiasm and frontline confidence is emerging as one of the biggest obstacles to AI adoption across the supply chain industry, according to a new survey fromThe Loadstar. TheState of AI in Supply Chain report, based on responses from more than 200 supply chain executives and practitioners worldwide, found that while AI is delivering measurable gains in areas such as document processing and productivity, most organisations remain far from achieving large-scale deployment. Only 22.2% of respondents said AI had been deployed at scale across multiple teams or had become core to operations, while 43.2% remained in experimentation phases or had not yet started adoption. The research suggests the biggest barriers are organisational rather than technical. More than half of respondents (53.8%) cited a lack of in-house AI expertise and change-management capability as the main obstacle to scaling deployments, while 48.7% pointed to difficulties integrating AI with existing systems. Perhaps the most striking finding was the divide between senior leadership and frontline employees. Among vice presidents and executives, 77.5% described themselves as optimistic or enthusiastic about AI’s impact on their careers. That figure dropped to just 37.5% among analysts, specialists and other individual contributors. James Coombes, chief executive of logistics AI provider Raft, said the findings highlighted a confidence gap rather than widespread fear of automation. “The biggest eye-opener for me was the massive sentiment gap between the boardroom and the front lines,” he said. “While 77.5% of VPs are highly optimistic about AI, that enthusiasm plummets to just 37.5% among the individual contributors actually doing the work – yet, fascinatingly, only 9% of those frontline workers feel threatened by it. “This tells us the issue isn’t frontline fear, but rather leadership selling a grand vision that their execution teams simply haven’t seen delivered in reality yet.” According to the report, document extraction and processing remains AI’s clearest success story, with 79.7% of respondents identifying it as the area where the technology had generated the most tangible operational impact. Speed and productivity gains were cited by 89.5% of organisations already seeing measurable value. However, measuring that value remains a challenge. Nearly two-thirds (62.8%) of respondents said they had either not measured the return on investment from AI initiatives or were unsure how to do so. Mr Coombes argued that the industry was experiencing an execution gap rather than an AI hype cycle. “I’d push back on the word ‘hype’. Hype implies the value isn’t real, and across more than 100 deployments with Raft the value is undeniable,” he said. “The people actually using AI are getting genuinely faster output. What the survey exposes is something more interesting: a measurement and execution gap. Most firms still can’t put a number on what AI is doing for them, and far fewer have deployed at scale than are talking about it.” The survey also revealed significant regional differences. North America recorded the highest proportion of companies yet to begin AI adoption, with 25.6% reporting no meaningful implementation efforts. Mr Coombes suggested the region’s lag reflected operational complexity rather than a lack of ambition. “North America doesn’t have an ambition problem. The leaders I speak with are some of the most bullish in the world. It does, however, have a complexity problem,” he said. He pointed to the breadth of services managed by many US-based logistics providers, the legacy of extensive offshoring, and deeply embedded operating processes as factors making change more difficult than in other markets. Looking ahead, the report argues that competitive advantage will depend less on access to AI technology and more on organisational readiness, including data quality, integration and change management. Some 65.8% of respondents said data quality and integration would be the key differentiator between AI leaders and laggards over the next two to three years. Mr Coombes believes the next major shift will come in back-office operations. “Within three years, the high-volume document triage and actioning that has bottlenecked the logistics back office for decades will be gone,” he said. “Reconciling an invoice against an accrual, making a customer booking, chasing a missing field – all of it automated by default, handled before a human ever sees it. “What will be left will be high-stakes data that needs human review, mission-critical exception management, and relationship management with both customers and service providers,” he said.

The price differential between Asia-North Europe and Asia-Mediterranean spot rates has hit a level not seen since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. While spot rates from Asia to the Mediterranean have traditionally been more expensive than to North Europe, largely as result of more capacity serving North European ports, the 4 June World Container Index (WCI) from Drewry showed the Mediterranean premium had surpassed $1,500 per 40ft, with the Shanghai-Genoa leg costing $5,089 per 40ft, and Shanghai-Rotterdam at $3,579. “Prior to the pandemic, the premium mainly stayed between zero and $500 per 40ft, albeit with some temporary deviations,” explained Sea-Intelligence Consulting. Source: Sea-Intelligence Consulting “During the pandemic there was a major disconnect in 2020-2022, leading to large-scale fluctuations. It should be noted that the apex was seen in spring 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and hence not directly related to the pandemic. “Volatility remained high, but in recent weeks, the premium has grown to exceed $1,500 per 40ft – a level only seen for some three months during spring 2022,” it added. The 11 June WCI saw the Mediterranean premium decline to $1,371 per 40ft, but last week it climbed again, to $1,414. The WCI’s Asia-North Europe and Asia-Mediterranean spot rates were on a par for much of 2025 – at some points North European destinations were marginally more expensive – but began to diverge in the final weeks of the year during the pre-Chinese New Year mini-peak. Source: Drewry The obvious change is the Iran conflict and the closure of Hormuz, which has left the Mediterranean as one of the few safe routes shipping could use to access the Gulf markets. “This shows a clear indirect impact of the Strait of Hormuz crisis, whereby some cargo bound for the Persian Gulf is redirected onto routes through the Mediterranean and then crossing the Suez Canal from the north into Red Sea ports, for subsequent overland transport. “This leads to a spill-over effect impacting the supply/demand balance in the Mediterranean, causing a spike in the premium versus North Europe,” Sea-Intelligence said. The rising Mediterranean premium would also explain the recent decision of Gemini partners Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd to shift capacity from North Europe to the Mediterranean and capture the higher-paying freight. Despite the potential impact of forcing rates into North Europe up, European forwarders have been pleased to see slot capacity increase in southern Europe. “I cover both the Med and North Europe, and the shift of some capacity to the Med is welcome – any effect on the North Europe routes I think will be short-lived as things start to calm down,” one toldThe Loadstarlast week. However, the high Mediterranean premium will leave central European importers – that often have a choice whether to route cargo through northern or southern European ports – with some difficult decisions in the weeks ahead, Sea Intelligence said. “Not only do they need to manage the risk of volatility in the rate levels themselves, but also the increasing volatility related to the arbitrage spread,” it added.

Looming EU de minimis changes will “reset” the business landscape, but forwarders should cool their fears of any immediate impact, suggestions are that the changes will present a host of opportunities for logistics operators to find new margins. From 1 July, the EU will terminate its de minimis exemption for low-value imports, meaning parcels valued at less than €150 will be subject to a flat customs duty of €3, with a handling fee expected to be €2, taking effect in September. DHL Express Europe’s chief executive, Mike Parra, toldThe Loadstar: “While we expect this change to fundamentally alter the trading landscape for B2C commerce, we do not believe its impact will be immediately felt in July. “Nor do I expect it to derail business, but it will increase the criteria for moving goods into Europe, which will result in some volatility – most likely in September – for final mile and delivery as businesses get used to the changes.” The associated fees will remain in place for at least two years as the bloc “negotiates a new unified customs regime” in the face of the rapid influx of cheap consumer goods from China propelled by the Covid-induced spike in ecommerce sales. Forwarders – including big multinationals like DHL – have already experienced the impact of de minimis ending when the US scrapped its own exemption on goods valued below $800 last year, upending forwarder working patterns. One SME forwarder toldThe Loadstar: “Before the termination, customs classification, HTS coding, bulk consolidation, FTZ and bonded warehouse strategies used to be back-office, but now they are the front-line product. “We are seeing some customer migration from direct cross-border parcel into US-based bulk and fulfilment. Freighters that used to fly ecommerce parcels are repositioning into general cargo lanes, and rates on those routes have softened. It is a recalibration, not a collapse.” Nor were they alone, several North American forwarders noted that the end of the exemption was leading to a shift away from handling single items and fragmented B2C parcel clearance toward consolidated B2B2C import structures. For those willing to tap into the changes, opportunities are emerging to support multichannel e-commerce flows by combining services, like B2B and B2C fulfilment, customs services, and bonded warehousing operations. Co-owner of Argents Tony Chiappetta said: “The headline is not ‘e-commerce is dying’ but ‘it is growing up’. The supply chain has to look like real again with declared values, real duties, real compliance and real partners managing it. This is a healthier industry, not a smaller one.”

At time of writing, negotiations between US and Iran, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan continue in Switzerland. Rewind for a moment. On Thursday 18 June, the “pre-deal“ MoU had “opened” Hormuz and Trump asked shipping to “start its engines”. Some ships passed but then it closed again after renewed hostilities in Lebanon. The story continues… Meanwhile, our early peak season – caused by a demand surge, low inventory levels and carrier discipline on the supply side – continues, and rates moved up ...

One defining feature of the history of containerisation has been the way it has led to the death of many inner-city working ports. The latest example is on the west coast of South America, where authorities in Chile recently gave the go-ahead for the port of San Antonio to embark on its highly ambitious $4.45bn outer port development (El Puerto Exterior), in what promises to be the country’s largest ever port development – with a new breakwater stretching 4km built to ...

Yang Ming said on Friday that slots on its ships on the transpacific and Asia-North Europe lanes were fully booked into July and expects the peak season to run into Q3. The Taiwanese liner operator’s management said while the 10% global tariff on US imports fuelled front-loading, ahead of the levies expiring on 24 July, it expected retailer restocking ahead of Christmas to power shipping demand into the third quarter. Chief revenue officer Yeh Wen-chung said: “The market is still affected by changes in US-China trade and tariff policies, geopolitical risks, and continued investment in new ship capacity, all of which are important indicators to watch in the shipping market in Q3. “However, supported by the traditional peak season and retailers restocking, demand in Europe and the US continues to heat up, while the intra-Asia market remains stable. The company maintains a cautiously optimistic outlook for the overall market outlook for Q3.” Yang Ming’s consolidated revenue for May reached $480.7m, up 6% from April and 22% higher year on year, reflecting the impact of the early peak season. The AI boom and demand for renewable energy have driven exports of related products, such as memory chips and solar panels. By year-end, Yang Ming will take delivery of the15,500 teu ships commissioned in 2023 at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and deploy them on Asia-North Europe routes. But Mr Yeh said Yang Ming’s Q4 performance would depend on developments in the Middle East. He said: “Passage through the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz affects global container shipping supply and demand. With the return of normal navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the rebound in cargo volumes on Middle East and Persian Gulf routes, global vessel scheduling will be further affected.” Mr Yeh also touched on the on-off US-Iran peace talks, saying that safety was important and Yang Ming would not rush to resume transits through the Persian Gulf. He explained: “Sailing through the Persian Gulf requires having insurance coverage and an assessment of the actual local security environment. The safety of crew and vessels is always the highest priority, and we won’t hastily resume service on related routes until the environment is confirmed to be safe.”

’The ladder is burning’, wrote our Adam Clermont a week ago. Bad timing, if you are looking for a job? Yes. But. Happy Mondays The flip side of that narrative is that, with so many experienced folks on the market from top-tier forwarders, CMA CGM-owned 3PL “Ceva Logistics can rebuild more quickly than it could otherwise have done if we had been in an up cycle”, argues a Premium source. Indeed, another from the C-suite hunting for a new opportunity said that “it looks like ...

The combination of tight ocean capacity and an early peak season is causing transpacific shippers to consider shifting traffic to air cargo, but space constraints are limiting their options. This month the US National Retail Federation (NRF) declared, in its monthly Global Port Tracker, that the 2026 peak season for retail imports had arrived early this year, and upped its forecast for boxed imports in June to 2.25m teu, 14.3% higher than June 2025. “That’s partly driven by retailers bringing in merchandise early, because of higher costs from tariffs or fuel prices, that could start coming in August,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF VP for supply chain and customs policy. After a 17% jump in May, to 840,165 teu, the port of Los Angeles has projected container throughput this month to exceed 900,000 teu, driven by strong imports, while exports have declined. “Peak season demand out of Asia Pacific is arriving earlier and with greater intensity this year, particularly as shippers front‑load volumes ahead of anticipated cost increases and ongoing disruptions,” reported Niki Frank, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific. “Demand is up around 4% year‑to‑date, driven by strong export momentum out of Asia.” Catherine Chien, chair of Dimerco, added: “A significant portion of the current volume appears to be front-loading. This has tightened vessel utilisation and supported higher ocean freight rates. “However, it also suggests that demand could soften later in the traditional peak season once inventory replenishment is complete,” she added. This tallies with the NRF’s projections of a relatively short peak season. “The current import surge will likely last into July, with an early peak season that resembles the more recent pattern of raised volume rather than a sharp peak,” said Ben Hackett, founder of Hackett Associates, in the Global Port Tracker. “After this, we expect a weakening in import volume as consumer uncertainty remains high and the impact of increasing inflation takes its toll.” Besides its early arrival and expected duration, this peak season is also different from past patterns in other aspects, Mr Frank added. “What is notable is not just the level of demand, but its dynamics. We see a more compressed peak, with customers booking earlier and often securing buffer capacity to manage uncertainty. This creates short bursts of tightness rather than a sustained peak, making planning significantly more complex.” Transpacific container capacity has been stretched and box rates have risen, Ms Chien reported, noting that this was partly the result of blanked sailings. And Mr Frank said: “Capacity constraints remain structural rather than purely cyclical. Nominal fleet capacity is still growing, but effective capacity remains tight as vessels are spending longer in transit due to re-routing, congestion, and slower sailing speeds.” Capacity constraints have been more pronounced in north and east China, Ms Chien noted, adding: “In South Korea, US-bound ocean rates and space pressure have also increased as carriers prioritise China cargo. “South-east Asia remains relatively manageable overall, although congestion in India and Thailand is affecting schedule reliability and adding pressure to regional supply chain,” she said. The situation has prompted shippers to consider moving US-bound freight by air instead. “There are clear signs that some shippers are actively exploring air freight solutions as an alternative to congested ocean routes, particularly as ongoing bottlenecks continue to disrupt supply chains,” reported Alan Dong, senior regional air manager at OEC Group. Mr Frank described such efforts as selective and tactical. “We are not seeing a broad shift from ocean to air, but rather targeted mode shifts for critical, high‑value, or time‑sensitive cargo such as semiconductors, electronics, and spare parts. This reflects a more mature response from shippers not over‑rotating into airfreight but using it as part of a multimodal strategy to protect critical supply chains – “a decision driven more by risk management and service continuity than by pure speed”, he commented. One factor limiting modal shift to air on a larger scale is capacity. Ms Chien pointed out: “Transpacific airfreight capacity remains tight across much of Asia, driven primarily by sustained demand from the semiconductor, AI server, data centre, and broader hi-tech sectors. “According to Aevean, Taiwan recorded 276% year-over-year air cargo volume growth in the first four months of the year, while Thailand’s AI-related exports rose 223% and Vietnam volumes increased 110%. This demand is continuing to absorb available capacity and keep airfreight rates elevated.” Capacity out of north and east China was also tight, she added, and lift out of Vietnam had “tightened significantly, with exports from both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to the US facing critical space constraints and elevated rates”. Mr Dong said: “Sudden flight cancellations, often issued without advance notice due to fuel shortages, have created significant backlogs across Asia. As a result, available space is being filled rapidly, with capacity selling out quickly, and freight rates rising almost overnight.” Dimerco is helping shippers navigate the capacity constraints through a combination of secured carrier capacity, proactive planning, and flexible routing options. Being a top-25 freight forwarder by volume with major Asia air and ocean carriers, it can maintain pre-booked block space agreements to secure uplift on tight lanes and during peak periods. It also evaluates alternative routings, cross-border trucking solutions in markets experiencing severe airport congestion, and China-Europe rail for suitable shipments, added Ms Chien. OEC also strives to offer its clients multiple routing options, but these are limited by the conflict in the Middle East, Mr Dong pointed out. “Some routings are becoming more viable again, but we believe it is still too early to consider them fully normalised. Given the ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, we continue to recommend a cautious, case-by-case approach when evaluating those routes,” Ms Chien said.

Ascolta la versione audio dell'articolo 4' di lettura English Version Translated by AI. For feedback, please contact english@ilsole24ore.com Chi arriva nel sud della Sardegna cerca quasi sempre il mare e le spiagge, ma è sufficiente spostare lo sguardo per immergersi in scenari diversi fatti di saline, boschi, antiche miniere. Un territorio capace di sorprendere e raccontare storie millenarie, da scoprire attraverso alcune delle esperienze più interessanti da sperimentare nell’area meridionale dell’isola. Chiedilo al Sole Le domande sono suggerite automaticamente da 24Ore AI sulla base del contenuto visualizzato. Domande di approfondimento generate da 24Ore AI Dove nasce l’antico legame con il sale A Cagliari l’attività di estrazione del sale ha rappresentato per un lungo periodo una delle principali risorse economiche della città. Le tracce di questa storia millenaria, documentata già in epoca fenicia, si seguono ancora oggi specialmente in due luoghi: il Parco Naturale Regionale Molentargius-Saline, un’oasi protetta nata dopo un percorso di trasformazione quando l’attività salifera si è fermata nel 1985, e le Saline Conti Vecchi, ancora attive nello stagno di Santa Gilla. Tra gli specchi d’acqua del Molentargius (il cui nome deriva dal termine sardo che indicava gli asini che trasportavano il sale) là dove un tempo si estraeva il sale, la presenza degli edifici industriali testimonia ancora le tracce della produzione dei primi anni del Novecento, oggi si cammina in un ecosistema con la maggiore biodiversità avifaunistica della Sardegna. Un’area umida riconosciuta come il principale sito di nidificazione dei fenicotteri nel bacino del Mediterraneo; un’oasi naturalistica che può essere esplorata in autonomia, o con visite guidate, a piedi e in bicicletta. Pochi chilometri più a ovest, nello stagno di Santa Gilla, le Saline Conti Vecchi, tutelate e valorizzate dal FAI, raccontano l’antica tradizione salifera sarda. Qui, con il percorso di visita che si snoda tra montagne di sale che abbagliano con il riflesso del sole, vasche e antichi edifici industriali, si conosce la storia iniziata alla fine degli anni Venti grazie alla visione dell’ingegnere Conti Vecchi che, attraverso un progetto di bonifica e valorizzazione dello stagno, trasformò l’area in uno dei più importanti complessi produttivi dell’isola. Loading... Parco Naturale Regionale Molentargius-Saline. Foto Erika Scafuro Nel regno del cervo sardo Lasciata alle spalle la costa cagliaritana e dirigendosi verso l’entroterra sud orientale della Sardegna, si raggiunge il territorio del Sarrabus. È qui che si estende rigogliosa la Foresta Demaniale dei Settefratelli, così chiamata dal numero delle vette che costituiscono il massiccio montuoso che si estende nei comuni di Sinnai, Burcei, Castiadas e San Vito. Un’area protetta di quasi diecimila ettari capace di immergere nella natura più sorprendente dell’isola: boschi di lecci, sughere e macchia mediterranea si alternano e si integrano, dando vita ad un ambiente ricco di biodiversità popolato da numerose specie animali, tra cui il cervo sardo è senza dubbio la più rappresentativa. Introdotto in Sardegna circa ottomila anni fa, questo animale è così rappresentativo della fauna isolana da essere celebrato con uno spazio espositivo e didattico a lui dedicato. Il Museo del cervo sardo, che si trova presso il centro servizi del Settefratelli in località Campu Omu, immerge il visitatore nella vita e nella storia di questo regale mammifero. Particolarmente apprezzata da chi ama le escursioni a piedi e in mountain bike, la Foresta dei Settefratelli dispone di una vasta rete sentieristica. Un primo approccio agli ambienti che caratterizzano l’area, può essere quello di percorrere il sentiero natura che si sviluppa nei dintorni di Campu Omu oppure visitare il giardino botanico di Maidopis, dove è possibile approfondire gli aspetti floristici e faunistici che rendono unico il complesso dei Settefratelli. Paesaggio del Sarrabus Sardegna. Foto Erika Scafuro A passo lento lungo gli antichi sentieri dei minatori La Sardegna meridionale è legata anche al suo passato minerario, che ne costituisce un importante tratto identitario. Uno dei modi migliori per coglierlo è percorrere il Cammino Minerario di Santa Barbara, un itinerario escursionistico che porta alla scoperta della millenaria storia mineraria della Sardegna e del patrimonio naturalistico, storico, culturale dei territori del Sulcis-Iglesiente-Guspinese. Lungo circa cinquecento chilometri, e suddiviso in trenta tappe, il percorso ad anello parte da Iglesias e può essere affrontato nella sua interezza, oppure in parte per alcuni tratti. Si cammina lungo antichi sentieri battuti dai minatori, con la costante presenza delle chiese dedicate alla loro patrona, santa Barbara, fra tracce di giacimenti e villaggi minerari, come Nebida, Montevecchio, e testimonianze di archeologia industriale che raccontano l’attività mineraria del territorio, emblematico in questo senso è Porto Flavia, sito minerario che sbuca dalla roccia a picco sul mare. Il Cammino Minerario di Santa Barbara è un’esperienza a passo lento che unisce storia e natura, si attraversano paesaggi costieri, si raggiunge anche il celebre faraglione di Pan di Zucchero, spiagge, borghi in cui il mare è protagonista - il percorso fa tappa anche a Carloforte, sull’isola di San Pietro, e Sant’Antioco – ma anche foreste rigogliose, montagne come il massiccio del Marganai e luoghi sorprendenti di cui sono esempio le grotte Is Zuddas, nel comune di Santadi. Parco Molentarius Cagliari. Foto Erika Scafuro Dove il mare sembra dipinto Dopo aver scoperto saline, foreste e antichi siti minerari, è il mare a catturare l’attenzione, riportando lo sguardo verso lo scenario più celebre della Sardegna meridionale. Lunghi litorali di sabbia candida, fondali di acqua cristallina, dune modellate dal vento e pinete ombreggiate rendono inconfondibile questo tratto di costa. Il viaggio alla scoperta di questo paesaggio può iniziare già alle porte di Cagliari, con gli otto chilometri della spiaggia cittadina de il Poetto e un mare che si tinge di sfumature sempre diverse, seguendo il ritmo della luce dall’alba al tramonto. Tonalità che si susseguono lungo tutta la costa orientale della Sardegna, non sorprende quindi che la spiaggia di Mari Pintau, nel territorio di Quartu Sant’Elena, debba il suo nome ad un mare che sembra dipinto; per raggiungere poi Villasimius, una delle località balneari più rinomate del sud della Sardegna, che ospita calette e spiagge altrettanto suggestive, come quella di Cala Sinzias, nel territorio di Castiadas, dove una lunga distesa di sabbia fine incontra un mare dai luminosi riflessi turchesi. Non è da meno, per fascino e suggestione, il tratto di costa che abbraccia il versante sud-occidentale della Sardegna. Un paesaggio dominato dalle celebri spiagge caratterizzate da dune modellate dal vento, come quelle di Piscinas e Porto Pino, cui si affianca la varietà di litorali e calette dell’arcipelago del Sulcis con l’isola di San Pietro e la località di Sant’Antioco. Proseguendo nuovamente verso Cagliari, lo sguardo si posa sul versante più celebre della Sardegna, dove si incontrano scenari iconici come la spiaggia di Tuerredda, Chia e il promontorio di Capo Spartivento. Un alternarsi di mare cristallino e sabbia candida che racconta tutta la straordinaria varietà della sorprendente costa meridionale della Sardegna.