Newsletter – June 12, 2018

AIR FREIGHT UPDATES

Air France pilot unions call for more strikes June 23-26

source: atwonline.com

Air France said its pilots’ unions have called for strikes on June 23, 24, 25 and 26, part of a long-running dispute between employees and management over pay, and condemned the unions’ move as “incompatible with any concern for the company’s future.” Read more here.

Qatar Airport cargo cushions blow from Saudi-led embargo

source: theloadstar.co.uk

A Saudi-led embargo may have seen passenger numbers at Qatar’s airports plummet, but the blockade has been a boon for the country’s cargo sector. Bloomberg reports that Qatar’s air freight volumes have hit record highs, with airlift required to ship in goods including fresh produce. Read more here.

GROUND AND RAIL FREIGHT UPDATES

CN must reopen vital Thunder Bay bridge to cars; Ontario’s top court rules

source: canadianshipper.com

Toronto, ON — One of the country’s foremost railway companies will have to ensure cars can use a bridge in Thunder Bay, Ont., under terms of an agreement signed more than a century ago, Ontario’s top court ruled on Monday. Read more here.

CN to invest $320 million in Alberta

source: canadianshipper.com

Edmonton, AB — CN announced plans to invest $320 million across Alberta in 2018 to expand and strengthen the Company’s rail network throughout the province. Read more here.

OCEAN FREIGHT UPDATES

Low-sulphur fuel laws will see container lines ‘all go bust’, says MOL CEO

source: theloadstar.co.uk

Less than 18 months before the IMO’s 0.5% sulphur cap regulations come into force for merchant shipping, container lines are worried that the estimated $50bn extra cost of the greener fuel could tip them into bankruptcy. Read more here.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS – GOVERNMENT UPDATES

Trump’s auto tariffs would devastate supply chains, cause mass layoffs: experts

source: ctvnews.ca

MONTREAL — U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on auto imports from Canada would devastate the integrated supply chain that has taken decades to build and cause job losses on both sides of the border, industry experts warn. Read more here.

US retail imports not hit by trade war threat: Port Tracker

source: seanews.com

THE monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates shows that imports at major retail container ports in the US are expected to reach record highs despite threats of trade war and tariffs. Read more here.