MSC faces potential $63m FMC fine for actions during supply chain crisis. Shipping Act violations of ‘iniquitous nature, vast extent and severe gravity,’ alleges FMC office. Allegations arose during the supply chain crisis that container shipping lines took advantage of the situation. The FMC Office of Enforcement just filed a particularly aggressive brief, arguing that MSC was a culprit.

Box freight market losing momentum. Rates on some trades have lost half the gains they made in early stages of the Red Sea crisis. Carriers are continuing to look for rate increases. But in the traditionally slower months of the second quarter, and with demand showing few signs of strength, rates are set to slide further.

Russia is contemplating imposing a 200% duty on wine imports in order to protect the Russian wine market. This import duty would apply to wine, fortified wine and sparkling wine from ‘unfriendly’ NATO states.

Criminal networks are well ahead in the fight over Europe’s ports. Cocaine seizures are sharply up, but much more is getting through. Europe’s ports are drug hubs. On February 16th the Port of Cork seized €32.8m ($35.6m) worth of crystal meth. Last year Antwerp, one of Europe’s main drug gateways, confiscated record amounts of cocaine. Most drugs, though, elude customs and end up on the streets.

Chinese green technologies are pouring into Latin America. That is prompting anxiety in the United States about security, coercion and competition. Politicians in the United States fret that Latin America’s growing reliance on Chinese green technology, from electric buses to solar panels, is a problem and even a threat.

Ramadan finnished and was followed by the Eid Mubarak holidays. May this Eid bring you happiness, peace and prosperity.

Large shippers showing more interest in emission-reducing fuels. Carriers are increasing the volumes of cargo shipped in emission-reduction products.

Maersk shipped more than half a million teu through its low-carbon services in 2023. But at the smaller end of the market, logistics providers have further to go.

Attached find a contribution of our valued board member Globus Logisys from India about India’s strategic economic assets.

Green power at port of Antwerp. Power to Hydrogen and Triple W are the first companies to sign up for Next Gen Demo, an innovation hub within the Next Gen District in the port of Antwerp.

First step for Valencia-Rotterdam-Oslo international fresh produce freight train.The Dutch province of South Holland is making plans for an international fresh produce freight train. It is expected to start operating from Valencia via Rotterdam to Oslo sometime thi year. The province presented the plan on Thursday, April 4, at the Connecting Europe Days transport fair in Brussels.

‘Could they? Yes. Will they? Probably not’: Doubts over Iran’s Strait of Hormuz threat. Security experts poured cold water on the suggestion Iran would block crucial shipping lane. An Iranian navy chief said Iran could close the Strait of Hormuz as he pledged to ‘punish Israel’ for a lethal strike in Syria, which killed a Revolutionary Guards’ general.

Improved water levels have seen The Panama Canal Authority announce the opening up of three more daily transit slots (as of March 2024) to accommodate growing demand. These additional slots will increase the daily quota to 27, representing a significant increase from the daily limit of 18 adhered to throughout February. Whilst decent rainfall throughout November and December has seen water levels improve, The Panama Canal Authority is continuing to closely monitor the situation and will update shipping conditions accordingly.

India’s biggest conglomerate takes on chipmaking. Tata Group goes into growth mode. On april 1st diggers at large construction sites in two Indian states broke ground on a pair of semiconductor factories. The plant in Gujarat, which will cost $11bn, is to employ 20,000 people and produce 50,000 silicon wafers a month. At the $3bn facility in Assam, 27,000 workers will package chips into processing units.

The koala is the laziest mammal in the world: it sleeps for around 20 hours a day.

Every person has an average of four dreams per night.

Next week we kick off the annual conference in Porto, Portugal. For the members that cannot attend this event, find the digital flyer of the conference to the DYKT. Just scan the QR code to see it all.