Dear all,

 

Did You Know That…

…Strikes in ports across Europe add to shippers' congestion woes. Shippers are warned that strikes at multiple major European ports will lead to delays and disrupted services, alongside continuing congestion challenges. Maersk warned customers that the strike by two lashing companies at the port of Rotterdam, lasting from yesterday afternoon until tomorrow and also in Antwerp strikes are announced.

…CULines expands Red Sea services as mainline operators stay away. China United Lines (CULines) is widening its Red Sea coverage with a new service linking Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, as mainstream operators remain reluctant to resume transits through the area.

…MSC scoops up more feeder ships in its 'quest for global dominance'.  MSC is flexing its ability to handle “the bigger balls” as it continues its box ship purchasing spree despite fears of a market downturn and overcapacity.  

 

…China–UAE auto link. AD Ports group and China’s SPG Yantai Port have signed a preliminary strategic agreement to develop green automotive industrial parks. The partnership aims to create a

 

…China–Middle East–Africa automotive logistics corridor, combining infrastructure and expertise to support trade in new and second hand vehicles.

 

…This week we received the resignation letter from our esteemed member Uniserve in the UK. Uniserve has been our valued member since 2019. We wish team Uniserve all the best for the future.

 

…Modal shift in Switzerland completely fails after thirty years of trying. Thirty years after the Swiss decided in a referendum to shift as much road transport as possible through the Alpine state to rail, customs officials have found that road transport has actually gained market share compared to rail in terms of tonnage, while the supply of cargo in inland waterway transport has stagnated.

 

…The Argentine peso, and Javier Milei, are in trouble. The president’s economic team has decamped to Washington, trying desperately to confirm American support. On October 6th, in the middle of his most difficult period as president, Javier Milei donned a long leather jacket, strode into a packed arena in Buenos Aires and jumped around like a rock star, belting out Argentine rock classics. The idea was to revitalise his party’s campaign for the midterms on October 26th and to remind his supporters, and perhaps himself, that his presidency was once exciting, even fun. Lately, running Argentina has been quite a slog. On September 22nd Scott Bessent, the US Treasury secretary, promised that America is ready to “do what is needed” to steady Argentina’s currency. That intervention was prompted by the Argentine central bank being forced to sell over $1bn in two days to prop up the peso. Mr Bessent’s promises stopped the slide, but details are scant and even Republicans are questioning the bail-out. 

 

 

…Update of the EAA Network annual conference 2026 in Istanbul, next year from 24-27 March. We are pleased to see that there is a lot of enthusiasm to attend this event. Since we opened the registration, no less than 124 participants have signed up for the annual meeting, with still almost half a year to go until kick off. We will not be surprised if we are going to exceed the record-breaking presence of 130 delegates. Attached we are sending you the latest update of the particiapnts list for your perusal. Registration is still open !

 

…China unveils record-breaking bridge. According to an online newspaper under the control of the state of China the country has inaugurated the world’s tallest bridge in the southwestern province of Guizhou, where the new 'Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge' now towers 625 m above the Beipan River.

 

…Nike said it now expects costs from tarriffs to reach $1.5bn in its financial year, as it reported a 31% drop in quarterly net profit, year on year.

 

…The fastest speed ever recorded for a turtle is just 0.28 metres per second (16.8 meters per minute or 1 km/h) – slow and steady really does win the race.

 

…The myth of the "busy ant" isn’t quite true: studies show that worker ants are active for only about 25% of their time. The rest is spent cleaning, feeding, carrying—or simply standing by. Nature's efficiency secret: plenty of tiny breaks keep the colony ready to work around the clock.

 

…This DYKT news bulletin will be published on the website as well, go to www.eaanetwork.com.

 

Have a good Friday and weekend ahead !