Market Advisory
Must-See Information
The supply chain management and logistics industries move quickly. Our team provides time-sensitive and urgent information about conditions affecting markets around the world. Read more by clicking on one of the stories below.
German Transport Strike Update
Negotiations in Germany between the unions and government representatives have not yielded a result, with both sides declaring that the talks have failed. As per German law, they must now nominate a conciliation committee/jury to mediate between the parties. They have...
Strike in Germany
There is a fast-moving story happening in Germany which isn’t just affecting motorists and travelers, but cargo interests as well and will have repercussions for US importers and exporters doing business with German companies. Today, Germany faces a massive transport...
Possible Rail Strike
Preparations are again being made for a rail strike as another rail union rejected the current offer known as a National Tentative Agreement. For the first time, over 60% of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) voted against the current contract and criticized...
301 Tariffs Adding to Inflation and Transportation Prices
After the Section 301 tariffs were implemented, transportation costs and inflation began to rise. The question of whether to keep or remove the tariffs was put to the importers and businesses affected. Surprisingly, there was an overwhelming response to keep them,...
Rhine and Yangtze Rivers Running Dry
Importers and exporters in the United States have been most attuned to supply chain delays that they can see or immediately experience, like port congestion in Southern California and now in places like Savannah and New York or COVID-driven closures at factories from...
Critical Delays in European Ports
Delays are no longer a question of what-if, but how long. Vessels are stacking up along the European coast and some of them are up to four weeks late. It began with blank sailings, equipment scarcity, and other complications, but the situation has been adversely...
German Dockworker Strike
12,000 dockworkers in the German ports of Bremerhaven, Wilhelmshaven, and Hamburg are set to go on strike Thursday morning. The strike is set to last from 0600 Thursday morning to 0600 Saturday. This is reportedly Germany’s longest strike in forty years. Reactions...
Hamburg Port and Strike Update
As cargo owners in North America are focused on the looming June 30th deadline between the PMA and ILWU, a more urgent situation has arisen in Germany. The labor union, Ver.di, announced that they will commence a strike action against German ports with effect from...
Strikes in Hamburg
An unexpected warning strike in the major German ports has hit Hamburg as well as Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven [last Friday], reports our Johannes Barthels, Managing Director at ProTrans Global. “The impact will be huge,” he adds. “Truck and rail delivery are not...
Shanghai Congestion and Anticipated Peak Season Woes
For the last few months, the full lockdown of Shanghai and other cities in China due to their zero Covid policy has caused turmoil for citizens and havoc for the world supply chain and financial ecosystem. It has resulted in equipment and worker shortages, as well as...